Stroke of Luck
by TheEquivalentExchanger
Summary: Adrien knew he had just stumbled across Ladybug's best kept secret. It was merely a lucky coincidence. However, he'd yet to figure out if it was brought by good luck, or bad.
1. Through the Window

Adrien's pants could be heard throughout the stairwell. He knew there was not much time before his classmates began to raise suspicions regarding his whereabouts. Making it halfway across Paris a matter of minutes was not always an easy task, especially when your miraculous runs out of juice blocks away from the destination. He made a mental note to purge his house of cheese for a few days.

Of course, the journey to downtown Paris had been worth the effort. Just being able to see his Lady soothed all the pulled tendons in his calves, somehow reducing their overextended state to a jelly-like consistency in a matter of seconds. The few breaths he'd salvaged from sprinting across the rooftops were relentlessly stolen with just a simple glance over her small frame.

"What took you so long?" She'd called, with the sassy undertones that drew upon his stomach like a match over the box. A momentarily slow, gut wrenching drag that pulled his stomach into flame, consuming his body with admiration. She resumed her gaze at the daily Akuma, unaware of the cat she'd left in shambles behind her.

The pair had defeated the akuma flawlessly, her arm flicking to purify the butterfly and the yoyo dutifully returning to her palm. The countdown began, Chat Noir's ring seemingly a cuff beckoning to wrench him away from Ladybug, as usual. However, it was today that the strength of the ring's metal seemed to be most constricting. He had minutes left before transformation, but Christmas was approaching and he didn't want to leave without a promise.

"Ladybug!" He called just as she was about to fly off into the city afternoon, "Can we meet?"

She blinked once, "What do you mean, kitty? We meet at least three times a week." A smirk toyed with her velvety lips, the soft skin Chat's eyes had unconsciously been drawn to many times.

"I-I mean," He faltered, flicking his glance to the side, "I have something I want to give you." A moment passed, and he peered from under his thick eyelashes to meet her aqua eyes, "For Christmas."

Ladybug grinned and bobbed her head in agreement, "Sure! How about next Friday night?"

Chat Noir's face lit up, an astonished mouth left agape for a moment before evolving into a besotted grin. He nodded feverishly.

"Then, I'll see you at seven!" She called, grappling onto a nearby rooftop, "At the Jardin des Plantes!"

Chat would most likely have stood on the pavement until he collected dust, had it not been for the urgent dinging sounding from his Miraculous. He uttered a small yelp of surprise at the realization that only a single paw print remained on the symbol, and quickly flew off onto a nearby rooftop.

Now, as he clambered for the classroom, his mind was heavy and clogged with thoughts of the cherry-colored hero. He almost swooned off the railing, head getting slightly light at the thought of her sitting with him in the Parisian twilight, flowers surrounding her figure in a flurry of good luck. Oh the thought of it, her eyes matching the blooming hydrangeas, her suit brighter amongst the roses. The way she would captivate him even more than she already had.

In fact, Adrien was almost so distracted with thoughts of his Lady that he hadn't noticed the bright swoop of red that flew in through the school's upper window. Almost.

A surprised gasp left Adrien's lips as he quickly took cover behind a pillar. A familiar voice rang out from behind him.

"Just in time, Tikki!"

With a pang, Adrien's eyes grew as wide as saucers, his mouth agape with panic. _Ladybug._

In a burst of boyish instinct, Adrien leaned against the circular pole to gain a glimpse of his partner. _But is she doing here?_ His thoughts intruded. Through the corner of his eye, he could vaguely see the red silhouette he knew so fondly. His heart rate increased. He was locked in. He watched in captivation as the familiar white shone from her feet to her pelvis, revealing a pair of pale pink capris, he stared as the light trailed up her torso to unfurl a white cotton top and grey jacket, and to her neck, and finally, finally... Her mask disintegrated from the bottom up, the polka dots disappearing to reveal the ever familiar pair of blue eyes that he'd been chasing for almost three years. A flick of her navy blue hair was all it took for every particle of oxygen to seemingly depart his body.

 _Marinette._

Adrien wheezed a little, knowing he had just stumbled across Ladybug's best kept secret. It was merely a lucky coincidence. However, he'd yet to figure out if it was brought by good luck, or bad.

..  
..

Class was unbearable. Adrien was anxious and sweaty and willing himself, forcing himself, not to turn around. The only person he'd ever love was sitting right behind him, close enough to reach around and hold her tight for all eternity. It was such a compelling situation, his nerves were on fire simply resisting. The connections swam before his eyes, the coincidental arrival from each attack at precisely the same time he returned, the way she walked, her leadership skills, her understanding and bubbly nature, her lips, her cheeks, her eyes. Oh god, her eyes. The thread-like strands of navy blue that spread from her iris, even the way her eyebrows quirk when she laughs. Everything. She was everything.

"Hey man, you okay..?" A soft pat on his left shoulder triggered every nerve in the area, causing him to jump with a cry from his chair and land uncharacteristically on the floor, one leg straddling the seat.

Nino stared at him in shock, dumbfounded by his sudden burst of clumsiness. The class remained silent for a fleeting moment before erupting into giggles and guffaws. Chloé chattered with Sabrine behind him, obviously trying to conceal her giggles. Adrien felt the heat rise to his face, if it were possible to be more scarlet than he were before. He heard the screech of a chair on hardwood from a higher row, and turned his gaze finally to meet Marinette's, who had come to help him up. Her worried expression scrunched her eyebrows in the cutest way, and he felt the heat getting more intense.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice laced with concern. He nodded, at a loss for words, and reached for the hand she offered. He didn't know if he was feverish or whatever, but it was at that moment that he knew the movies weren't lying about touches being electric. His hand was still tingling when he took his seat.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, he hadn't taken notes in fashion class and had no clue what the assignment was for the next couple of weeks. It was only due to Nino that he had faint knowledge of the Christmas sweaters they were required to make before the break.

He took his place in the back of the limousine in a drunken state, his mind reliving the sequence for the hundredth time that day. He wondered if he was going to get any sleep that night.


	2. The Heat

Marinette paced the floor. A Christmas sweater. Made from wool. _Could the teacher have been any tackier?_

She sat on the bed and toyed with the large spools of red wool that laid before her, glimpses of designs swimming through her head. She pulled her journal out from underneath her pillow, unclasping the magnetic front to lay atop her legs. She knew she wanted a bulkier knit, not a tight-woven sweater. She'd had first hand experience with the shrinking power of tight knit within a laundry machine, and it was not a mistake she'd like to make again. She glanced once more to the spools of maroon sprawled across her bed, and began to work on a blank sheet of paper.

She'd designed a sweater out of cotton before, a cream color she wore on her mother's birthday last year. She decided to take some elements from the design. Minutes later, she laid her pencil down, extending the drawing before her with a satisfied grin. A lower cut neckline swooped from one shoulder to the other, gratuitously showing off the collar bone and neck, but managing to be somewhat modest. If she could finish the sweater this week, she'd wear it to meet with Chat.

Marinette blinked, was she supposed to come in uniform? Or casual wear? Of course, she would be wearing the mask replica she'd made for a Halloween costume, but what about the clothing? She shook the thought away, she had to make the sweater anyways. She might as well just be prepared for whatever.

The girl plodded over to her sewing machine, flicking her gaze to the photos of Adrien that adorned her walls before settling into the office chair. Of course, there was still the matter of his Christmas present. She'd pondered for hours over what to give him, spending weekend nights staying up with Alya on the phone talking about gift ideas. They'd come to the consensus that a design made by her own hand would be most romantic. It was just the decision of _what_ to make that they had trouble with. In the end, the pair had discussed a matching glove and tuque, one that would compliment the scarf she gave to Adrien for his birthday last year. Of course, he would think it a coincidence that the colors matched so well. She giggled to herself.

Marinette had spent many nights awake, thinking of the scenario. She could give it to him at school, but there was the chance Chloé would get in the way. Maybe she could drop it in his mailbox again, but she didn't want last year's happenings to occur again. It was this decision that she was drawing a blank on, and she needed to resolve it quickly, there was only about a week and a half left before Christmas break.

She shook her head clear, bringing her focus back to the unraveled yarn in her hands. First, she need to finish the sweater.

..  
..

Marinette knew that she'd made a mistake when reaching the classroom the next morning. She always told herself that staying up until 1 am in the morning was going to make the next day miserable, but when the time came, adrenaline overpowered her rationality and she went through school the next day in a zombie-like state.

"Again, Mari?" Alya slid into the seat next to her, a grin playing across her lips.

Marinette sluggishly turned to face her friend, her eyes half drooped and the dark bags beneath large enough to fit her mother's groceries. She let out a grunt of disdain before turning back to the front, Alya chuckling beside her.

Her classmates began to file in quickly, one after the other, as the school bell drew near. The thumping of shoes down the hallway grew louder as Adrien clutched to the classroom door, swinging in just as the bell rang. With a small heave of air, he trudged over to take his seat in front of her. His condition looked similar to her own, she noticed with a smile. She wondered what could have kept him up so late.

She noted, though, the way his emerald gaze avoided her own as he slumped into his seat. Her smile faltered in confusion, usually they greet each other in the mornings, in some way or another. He turned slightly in his seat to place his bag at his feet, and glanced over to meet her stare. Perhaps it was her tired state, but she thought she saw a faint blush behind the grin he quickly flashed her.

She knew there was no way for anyone to mistake her own red face for a hallucination.

Alya, seeing that the teacher was momentarily late, took advantage of the situation.

"Did you guys see the latest Akuma catch?" She leaned onto her desk, her voice dripping with pride and excitement, "I got it all on my blog." She held her phone up with pride, the small ladybug keychain glinting in the morning sunlight.

Nino turned to face the mahogany haired girl, a toothy smile greeting her. Marinette grinned into her palm. If she hadn't been Alya's best friend, she may not have noticed the slight subtleties of flirting. She knew they liked each other, but Alya was to oblivious to her own feelings to make something out of it. And thus, the flirtatious banter continued between them.

The two chatted happily about Marinette's alter ego, until Nino popped a surprising question.

"Do you think Ladybug is going out with someone?"

Marinette jolted slightly in her seat, her comatose state slightly revived with interest. She noticed how Adrien shifted slightly in his seat, lifting his head and listening in on the conversation. She wondered with the model would be interested in this topic above the others.

"Pfft-" Alya interjected, "What makes you say that?"

Nino shrugged, "Well, I mean, she always shakes off Chat Noir's flirts, y'know? Doesn't that seem weird?"

Marinette, slightly annoyed, opened her mouth but was promptly cut off by Alya.

"Just because a girl doesn't like a guy doesn't mean she has someone else." She states.

"What makes you think she doesn't like him?" A new voice interjects.

The trio turn their heads to Adrien, who faced them with a cross expression. His gaze flicks to the corner of his vision, making eye contact with Marinette. She blushes fiercely, and forces herself to turn away.

"Well, it's pretty obvious she doesn't." Alya counters. Nino lets out an uncomfortable huff of a laugh.

"Why does it matter to you anyways, man?" His friend grins, playfully shoving his arm.

Adrien blinks, realizing what he said. His expression softens.

"I-It doesn't! I mean, I don't really care-" He's cut off by the exchanged glaces made between Alya and Nino. Marinette watches his action carefully, there's no way...

"Adrien..." Alya prods with what Marinette knows to be her 'discovery' voice, "You can't hide from us." A devlish grin consumes her expression.

"U-um- What? What do you mean?" Adrien searches left and right, heat traversing his cheeks and coloring them with a delicate shade of pink.

"Dude..." Nino leans in with a murmur, "You like Ladybug?"

Adrien's mouth closes with a seal and he jolts back in his seat, another wave of red surfacing like paint on his cheeks and sweeping over them in an even darker hue.

"No!"

Marinette now is fully awake, her eyes wide as she realizes his lie. Her heart sinks and floats at the same time, undecided whether it should be overjoyed or crushed at the revelation that he likes Ladybug. The grins on the interrogator's faces widen, but the conversation is cut short when the teacher arrives in the classroom with a short apology for being late.

..  
..

"He likes Ladybug!" Marinette states for the seventh time that evening.

She is sitting with Alya on her bed, Marinette staring at the floor in a rigid cross-legged position, while Alya assumes a lounging position against her wall.

"So it seems..." Alya's voice is laced with empathy, "Are you okay, Mari?"

Marinette nods several times, she's fine. No, better than fine. No wait, maybe she's worse than fine?

"Well hun," Alya places a tender hand on her shoulder, "You can steal him away."

Marinette turns around to her friend, giving her a blank stare. She almost laughs, but manages to hold it down.

It's Friday night, one week until winter break. Alya searches for a distraction, and notices Adrien's gift sitting on the dresser.

"With this!" She cries triumphantly, retrieving the light blue materials, "With this, it won't matter that he likes Ladybug! You'll definitely steal his heart away!"

Marinette looks from the pair of accessories she made, back to Alya. Adrien likes Ladybug. It suddenly dawned on her what she would do.

"Alya!" She laughs, pulling herself off the bed to wrap her arms around her friend, "You're a genius!"

..  
..

It's nearly eight thirty when Marinette reaches the rooftop of the Agreste mansion, dressed as Ladybug with a carefully wrapped package in hand. The brisk evening air did nothing to stop her stomach from turning into a furnace. She paced atop the tiles as she fought with her short sighted decision. She had no clue whether he was even in his room, she didn't _really_ know for sure that he did like Ladybug, and she definitely didn't know what she'd say to him once they met.

"Oh Tikki, what was I thinking?" She whispered aloud, knowing her small kwami would not be able to respond.

It was on her third pace that she hardened her decision. She would knock, wait one minute exactly, then if he didn't answer, she'd leave. Even if he was in. She took a step forward and hooked her yoyo onto the eavestrough, using her feet to balance her as she slowly descended before his window. _Now or never_. Upside down, she extended her hand hesitantly before rapping twice on the large window. She fiddled with the packaging on the gift before deciding it had been sixty seconds. She had been dumb to think he'd be there. She pulled her yoyo to wind back up before hearing quick plodding towards the balcony. She was barely out of sight when she heard the doors swing open.

"Hello?" Adrien called.

Ladybug gulped down her nerves before descending once more to meet the boy eye to eye.

"Hello." She said rather breathlessly.

Adrien's eyes widened an he let out a small cry of surprise, stumbling back a step.

"Ladybug!" He choked.

She unhooked her yoyo from the gutter and flipped to face upwards, somehow landing in front of him in what she hoped was a graceful way.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

He nodded, blushing lightly behind his swept blonde hair. He stared at her with those emerald eyes Marinette had so longed to look into.

"What're you doing here?" He asked, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his face, "I mean, not that I'm complaining."

Ladybug blushed beneath her mask, tilting her hand to bring attention to the gift. He glanced at it with slight surprise, turning back to face her.

"Come in!" He beckoned, holding the transparent doors open for her.

"A friend of mine-" She halted, noticing her frequent lie being used yet again. She shook her head, "I mean, I made this for you."

She turned towards Adrien, holding out the gift for him to take. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"For me?" He asked, "Why?"

Ladybug's mind went blank, and she fumbled for an answer.

"Um, someone told me you were a fan!" She mentally applauded herself for coming up with such a witty excuse.

Adrien grinned, blushing. He laughed a little, scratching his head. She found herself feeling feverish at this action, and had to look away before she did something too rash. Adrien took the gift from her hand, and made his way over to his king-sized bed. He motioned for her to join him, which she did despite the heat threatening to make her limbs useless.

She watched as his hands, large and callused, tugged at the ribbon holding the packaging together. She bit her lower lip as he pulled the hat and mittens from the box, his eyes widening with awe.

"These are amazing!" He murmured, turning them over in his grasp.

She let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, her stomach settled within her once more. He rolled them over in his hands again before a questioning look crossed his face.

"These look a lot like-" He coughed, sweeping back his hair as if he'd almost said something unnecessary, "I mean, thank you. So much. Really."

Finally, Adrien looked up to meet Ladybug's gaze. She hadn't intended the stare to last as long as it had, nor for the familiar tingle to begin to spread from the soles of her feet. She sat, entranced, as the tingle spread up her entire body, bringing the heat with it. Oh my god, the heat. It was an inferno. Stronger than ever. A huge, well knotted rope that entangled some part of her and pulled her towards her long-time crush. She could barely fight it. From the looks of it, though, she didn't need to. Adrien's eyes were drooping themselves, dropping to the lower half of her face where she vaguely remembered her lips to be. She wanted him to kiss her, oh god, she wanted it more than she knew how to breathe. Adrien was all that was on her mind, and it seemed inevitable that when her body tilted forward, she would have no way of stopping it.

The two met somewhere in between. At some point during the leaning, Marinette had closed her eyes and like a blind person, used her other senses to develop her reality. It was her lips that contained what seemed to be every electrical impulse in her body. She was feeling Adrien in high definition, every crease in his lower lip accentuated as she pressed her own slightly harder to him. It was a sweet, mild kiss. A small, wonderful kiss. Her first kiss.

And it quickly came to an end.

They pulled away from each other, dazed. Adrien blinked and widened his eyes, realizing what had happened. Marinette herself was in seventh heaven, flying as she realized she'd finally made a move. They both did. It was mutual.

"Adrien, I-" She was cut off.

His lips were on hers, desperately, feverishly. One hand was pressed against her cheek, complimenting her jawline with the curve of his fingers. The other, used for support, was entangled with her own, fingers interlocking on the bedspread. The kiss was hard. It was no longer small, wonderful, or sweet, or mild. It was hot, it was so hot, hot, hot. And she wanted more. She moved her hand from the comfortable position on the bed and together with the other they moved to his neck. A low purr sounded from somewhere deep in his throat, and called to something deep at the base of her belly. She reached for the few strands of blonde hair that hung at the base of his hairline, swirling and tugging them in her fingers. He moved his hands to her hips, and somewhere along the way the two had made their way to the middle of the bed. Adrien was now leaning on his tailbone, Ladybug on her knees. The kiss was a tug of war, except opposite. Each of them refused to lose the fervent battle of pushing. Adrien lost his balance and fell onto the bed, his legs now between hers. He refused to lose. He wrapped his arms tighter around her small waist, pulling her closer to his body. She could feel the chiseled structure underneath his thin black T-shirt. It made her stomach tingle slightly more than it already was. Suddenly, Marinette felt something poke at her lower lip, a demand to enter. Of course, there was no lock on her lips and she allowed the kiss to deepen even further. He explored every inch of her mouth, and she tried her best to keep up with his pace. She thought she would explode.

It's possible she would have, had it not been for the single, quiet beep that went off in the room. The two broke apart, panting, gasping for air. Marinette felt dizzy, gaining her bearings and realizing again that she was Ladybug right now. She knelt over Adrien for a few moments before leaning back, tottering off the bed. Adrien sat up on the edge.

"Sorry, I," She said breathlessly, "I have to go."

His eyes were wide pools of emerald, just as before, however now there was something more lurking beneath the waters. Something... Hungrier. It took all of her effort to not succumb to his gaze. More beeping. She made her way to the balcony, Adrien following behind her. She turned to bid him goodbye, meeting a soft kiss instead. She melted once more, the bruised and swollen state of her mouth instantly made better by the sweet peck.

"Merry Christmas, Ladybug." He murmured huskily.

She bit her lip, hooking onto the eavesdrough once more.

"Merry Christmas."

She took off into the night.


	3. Winded

Adrien was a puddle. A perfectly happy, steaming mess of a boy.

When his Lady had arrived in front of him nearly an hour ago, he'd feared there was an Akuma attack in the vicinity. The way she dropped before him, her twinkling heaven-like eyes nearly made him fall over himself. Her low, breathy greeting was all it took for his heart to decide to stop functioning, plummeting him into a state of boyish lust and hungry greed. He could barely control himself. Not now, that he knew who she was.

Marinette. The nagging, persistent voice in the back of his mind would continuously surface with each passing second he spent looking at her. His classmate, his friend. His love. He had to remind himself that Ladybug wasn't just the impossibly sexy figure of scarlet that he'd longed for many times before. She was also the timid, polite, and scarily adorable girl who sat behind him every day. This constant reminder didn't help the tugging in his chest subside.

He gulped when she entered his room, his eyes trailing over her skin tight clothing and almost throwing him over the edge. He had to look away before he ruined any chance he may have had with her.

When they were seated on his bed, and the beautifully wrapped box was laying on his lap, comfort nuzzled it's way over his jumping nerves. He pulled out the handmade gifts, and nearly choked. They were of the same color and make as the scarf he'd received months ago from his father. A small gear whirred and clicked into place in his mind, and immediately he felt the guilt grow within his gut. She was the one who made the scarf.

He desperately wanted to inquire as to why she hadn't told him she'd made it, and nearly let it slip that he'd caught onto her secret. He had to cough down his stupidity.

The gloves and tuque, themselves, were beautiful. Warm, but not too bulky. Just his style. It was the kind of consideration he knew only his classmate to have. He turned to thank her, but was instead met by a soft, warm gaze.

Her eyes were kind of drooped, but not in a tired way. Her stare was like butter that had been sitting on the counter. And if he was the knife, he knew he'd be able to cut into it with ease. He watched as they shifted lower, beckoning him, and back up to meet his gaze again. Once more, the match was lit across the surface of his skin. He leaned in, carefully, watching as she did the same. They were so close. He let his eyes close and met her lips with his.

Marinette. Ladybug. She was kissing him. Softly, sweetly, entirely. And it felt... Amazing. Uncanny? _Blissful._ She encompassed his entire body with only a small, subtle movement. There was no way for him to escape now.

When he felt her lean back, and the warmth was drawn away from his lips, his hunger consumed him. Her mouth hung open slightly, her eyes wide and shining with what he hoped was excitement. She opened her mouth and began to say something, but he couldn't wait.

Chat Noir took him over. He could feel every crease of her skin. The softness of the chapstick she would often apply in class, accented by the slight dryness from her journey through the Parisian night. He pressed forward, expecting to overpower her. He was mistaken, and put back into his spot by the forcefulness of her own lips returning his passion. She was an incredible kisser.

He tugged slightly on her lower lip, a low rumble came from somewhere deep inside him. The longing was unbearable. Adrien needed to be closer. He allowed his alter ego to graze her lip with his tongue, a plea for entrance. It was feverish, and warm, and hot, and when he was pushed onto the bed, he no longer controlled any part of himself.

His hands were on her hips, tugging, pulling her closer. Her hands in his hair were a delicate surprise of cool, her fingers playing with a few strands in the most amazing way. His arms were wrapped around her, a small sound of pleasure escaping his partner. He grinned underneath her lips, enjoying the new side he was pulling from her. It seemed to last forever, and perhaps it would have, if her miraculous hadn't rang through their panting.

The parting was unbearable. He was left cold, her warmth the only thing now that could satisfy him. She opened her eyes, staring down at him. Her cheeks, flushed, like the apples on the forbidden tree. Her lips, swollen and puffy. He grinned knowing it was him who had rendered her this way.

"I have to go." She whispered thickly, her voice dripping with the unfinished kiss.

Ladybug climbed off him, placing the weight onto her feet and plodding over to the window. He followed after her, wondering if there was any way he could make her stay with him. He grinned behind her, stepping up silently to close the distance between them. She turned to depart, but he gave her no room. Their lips met perfectly and he felt her jolt in surprise, but Adrien quickly stepped back before he became too glued to her. Her earrings beeped once more, tugging her away.

"Merry Christmas, Ladybug." He uttered quietly, surprised at the lowness of his own voice. He forgot his upbringing, and was once again reverted to Chat Noir.

The girl bit her lip in what he found to be an entirely seductive way, before raising her slender arm and hooking the yoyo onto his roof.

"Merry Christmas."

..  
..

Adrien wasn't sure what time he'd fallen asleep that night, but when he awoke, it was sometime late in the morning. His vision focused to the white numbers on his phone, bright against his red and black polka-dotted background. He scrambled to push the sheets off of himself, dropping his plaid flannel pajama pants to the floor and pulling on the pair of skinny jeans he'd left on the carpet last night. He pulled a clean shirt over his bare torso, realizing that he'd fallen asleep without putting a shirt on. It would have been a disaster if his father had come in this morning to check on him.

He grabbed his book bag and snatched Plagg off the pillow, ignoring the cry of protest that erupted from his sleeping kwami's mouth and shoved him into the bag. He hurried downstairs, knowing the photo shoot he was supposed to attend was starting in less than half an hour. He hadn't a clue why Natalie hadn't woken him up. Adrien stumbled down the stairs, pushing the tangled locks of hair from his vision into what he hoped was an appealing look.

Suddenly, he stopped, remembering something important. He dashed to his room again, and grabbed the baby blue gift off his bedside dresser and pulling them onto his head and hands. He grinned, taking the scarf from the drawer and wrapping it around his neck.

He left the house feeling warm, and comfortable. The events of last night hung over his mind like a haze, the euphoria still present from last night's events. He reached a gloved hand to his slightly bruised lips, and smiled.

Then, Adrien choked. The realization crashed onto him and caused him to slip on ice and fall onto his back before even reaching the gate to the sidewalk. _Man, that hurt._ He noted in silence.

But that wasn't the point. _Ladybug liked him._ No, wait, Ladybug didn't even know him. Hold on, Ladybug is Marinette. _Marinette liked him._

Adrien shook his head, heaving himself up with a hand. He mentally hit himself, reminding himself once again that they are the same person. Plus, he wasn't even sure that Marinette did like him. I mean, it was just a kiss. Or actually, it was multiple. They weren't really kisses, either... He blushed. They were more like make-out sessions.

He slapped one hand over his eyes in embarrassment, color tinging his cheeks.

"Real subtle, Adrien." He muttered to no one in particular.

Either way, she'd kissed his civilian form as Ladybug. He needed a confirmation as to why. Did she like him that way?

He reached to open the gate, when a cry was heard to his right. His eyes widened, and he whipped open the wrought iron, running towards the scene.

A group had gathered, all gazing at something. Adrien approached with caution, hidden in an alleyway connecting the road he came from and the small square where the event occurred. A flash of blue burst from the center, and the people screamed, pushing past each other and dispersing. Adrien knew this had to be an Akuma.

"Plagg!" He whisper-called, unzipping his book bag.

The cat-like creature sat atop a textbook munching on a half eaten triangle of pungent cheese. Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Transform me!" He called, extending his hand so the creature could fly into his miraculous ring.

The tingling sensation of the black leather spreading across his body was familiar, and put his battering heart at rest. He peered over the corner, craning to gain a better view of the enemy. He felt the slight draft behind him, and turned to see his partner landing with sensual grace next to him. He could not suppress the fond warmth that seeped across his cheeks. Hours ago, she'd been kissing him into a mess. He tried not to think too hard about it.

"What is it this time?" She breathed into his shoulder. Her breath tickled his neck, and he shivered.

"I'm," He began, moving closer to the edge of the alley, "Not sure."

Suddenly, a spiked flash of bright blue burst right next to his eye, and he jumped back in surprise. Chat grabbed Ladybug's slender wrist and used his pole to launch themselves onto the roof. In the square, a girl stood in a poofy blue dress, frost seeming to spread from where she stood. The building corner that had been shot turned dark blue before becoming brittle and crumbling, pieces of brick falling to the pavement.

A cackle arose from the female.

"In her shoes!" Ladybug hissed.

Sure enough, the sole of her left shoe had turned a deathly purple color, and ice spread from it's contact with the ground. Chat's partner called for her lucky charm, producing a pair of ice skates. It didn't take long for her to spring into action. She strapped the skates on and sprang to the ground, landing on the thick padding of ice the girl had laid in her wake.

Chat Noir watched in a trance as her lithe red figure sliced after the enemy, knocking her to the ground in one fell swoop. She ripped the boot off the girl's foot with vigor, only to be caught in the girl's grip. Chat clambered to the ground, breaking free of his hypnotism and called upon his destructive powers.

"Destroy this!" Ladybug cried, whipping the boot into his waiting palm.

The shoe crumbled in his hand, the black moth escaping. He ran to Ladybug, who could not grab onto her yoyo with the girl clutching her arm. Chat pinned the girl down as Ladybug purified the Akuma, calling goodbye to the white butterfly. The girl beneath him awoke drowsily, climbing to her feet in confusion before sauntering away.

The countdown began once more, Chat Noir's miraculous beginning to tick away the time.

"Ah, Chat, hold on!" Ladybug jogged towards him.

Chat Noir waited for her to catch up.

"What should I, um, wear on Tuesday?" She asked rather bashfully.

Chat Noir blinked, once, twice.

"What do you mean?" He asked stupidly. She stared at him with a blank expression.

"Are you going to wear your uniform?" She asked inquisitively.

Chat's eyes widened, as the thought of Ladybug wearing her casual clothing crossed his mind. As Marinette crossed his mind. He hoped she would mistake his blush for the cold in the air.

"Oh, no." He replied, "Wear something warm."

She grinned, nodding once before glancing at his miraculous. Her earrings beeped in reminder.

"Okay. I'll see you then!" She called, turning on her heals and springing onto a rooftop.

Chat grinned to himself. She didn't know, she'd actually be seeing him before then.


	4. The Garden of Ice

Marinette rubbed her hands together in the freezing winter twilight. She regretted leaving the house at the time she did, sitting on a stone bench about twenty minutes before they'd agreed to meet. She picked at the hem of her newly finished sweater, pulling it over her thighs a little more. She wished she had worn something other than a pair of black leggings. Marinette lifted a gloved hand to the thin cloth that covered her eyes, hoping that it would be enough to keep her identity hidden.

It was the first time she would be meeting with Chat Noir in something other than her Ladybug outfit. She even made an effort to leave her hair down for once, taking time to wash it and blow dry it. She hadn't a clue why she'd gone through so much effort, especially when she'd only stuffed it into a hat on her way out. Her heart fluttered lightly in her chest and caused her to shiver slightly. Instinctively, the girl tucked her hands under her armpits and nuzzled deeper into her tightly wrapped black scarf. Marinette wished Chat Noir would hurry up.

To her left, the slapping of sneakers on pavement caused her to perk up. A teenage boy approached her, his cheeks red due to what she assumed was the cold. A strip of black cloth had been carelessly cut to allow only his eyes to show through. His dark green parka looked to be the only warm part of him. His hands, neck, and head were exposed to the frigid air, his legs covered only in a pair of form-fitting skinny jeans. Marinette looked away, suddenly feeling a little warmer.

"Sorry," He panted as he arrived at her side, "Am I late?"

Marinette allowed her mouth to peek over her scarf, smiling and shaking her head. Chat Noir straightened up, allowing her a full view of his outfit. She gasped a little, reaching up to his face and moving a strand of hair to reveal an ear. Her fingertip grazed it, and she watched as it grew a slightly darker shade of pink. Marinette turned her gaze back to the boy's face, which matched the hue. She laughed.

"So you _do_ have ears!" She giggled.

Chat Noir's expression cracked into a cattish grin. The blonde took a step back, finally noticing the outfit his Lady was wearing. An adorable one, he might add. A pair of black leggings, hidden slightly underneath a red wool sweater that brought out the color of her lips and the apples of her cheeks. Her neck was covered with a cotton black scarf, and her hair was tucked underneath a knitted wool tuque, similar to the one she'd given him a couple days ago. His eyes were drawn to her hers then, a blush spilling over himself when he noticed the hand-crafted mask replica that attempted to hide her identity. It probably would have proven to be much more useful had he not already known who she was. Ladybug's eyebrows furrowed.

"Aren't you cold?" She teased quietly.

Adrien grinned, "I'm much warmer now that I'm here with you, my lady."

In truth, he probably would have dressed much more appropriately had all his winter attire not been made by his partner. Unfortunately, he had to forsake his comfort in order to preserve the secret.

She rolled her eyes and giggled at his pass, taking her seat once more on the stone bench. Marinette patted the seat next to her, and Chat Noir took in his surroundings next to her. He laughed a little bit, finally realizing that his fantasies of flowers being present in the garden were blatantly shot down. The Parisian winter had crushed his hope for a colorful scenery, instead shading the garden in a grey scale. Adrien turned to his Lady, who seemed to have the same thought on her mind.

Marinette blinked, remembering the small box in her pocket.

"Right!" She pulled out the box, extending it towards her partner, "Merry Christmas, Chat!"

Chat Noir blushed, remembering how she'd said those exact words to him only three nights ago. Except at that time, he was Adrien. And her tone was much more... Enticing. He threw the memory from his mind, taking the box from her hand, and thrusting his own gift bag towards her. He smiled as her eyes widened.

"For me?" She murmured, matching her gaze to his and causing Adrien's stomach to tremble.

Never had he felt so much like Adrien when he sat with Ladybug. Tonight, in the isolation of the garden, Ladybug made him shy. The twinkle in her eyes made him warm inside, made him want to protect her. It was so different than Saturday, when they'd been entangled in a knot of heat and kisses. He watched her remove her matching red gloves and place them on the bench, and pull the tissue paper from the bag. Her mouth hung open slightly as she pulled out a small cloth bag. Her eyes flicked to the corner of her vision in a question, to which Chat bit his lip slightly in response. Her slender fingers tugged at the bag, removing a delicate silver chain from the velvet. A small, red ladybug pendant hung from the chain. Marinette drew in a slight breath.

"Chat," She spread the chain out in her fingers, and turned to face him, "This is beautiful."

"It's an anklet," He smiled at her genuine surprise. He knew how important it was for her to keep her identity a secret, and this way, it would be easier to hide. He'd spent an hour with Nino in a jewelry store trying to decide, much to his friend's disdain.

Marinette brought her foot up to rest on the edge of the bench, locking the chain around her ankle and letting it fall into her boot. Chat grinned, proud of it's concealing capabilities. Marinette felt the flutter in her heart become slightly more erratic, the butterflies in her stomach tickling the base of her belly.

"Thank you," She smiled to him.

Adrien was sure he'd melt on the bench. He shook his head, pointing back to the bag.

"There's one more thing."

Marinette reached in and pulled out a CD cover, with small script written over the clear case that spelt "Ladybug". A shining silver CD laid inside.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Play it when you get home."

Marinette grinned at his mischief, deciding she'd let him off the hook just this once. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around his neck for a moment. Adrien could smell her rose-scented shampoo. Her light embrace made him yearn once more for the events of Saturday evening. He shivered slightly when she breathed a 'thank you' into his ear before they broke apart. She placed her hand on his thigh, sending every nerve in the area into chaos. She motioned to the small gift in his hand.

"Now yours!" She leaned back, clapping in excitement.

The boy chuckled as his classmate's personality showed through her mask. Adrien pulled at the small ribbon yet again, realizing this would be the second gift he received from his crush. He pulled open the top, revealing a thin band of polished silver, and when he turned it over, he saw the small head of a cat engraved on the front. His eyes lit up as she giggled.

"Kind of similar gifts, aren't they?" She pointed to the ring, "I thought since you already wore a ring anyways, nobody would notice if you wore a second over top."

He smiled. It seemed that she'd put as much thought into the preservation of his identity as he had hers. Adrien reached for the hand she'd placed on the bench, still without a glove. He wrapped her fingers in his own and looked into those cerulean pools once more.

"Thank you." His voice was low, and it satisfied him when he observed her cheeks growing a slightly darker shade of red. Or maybe that was just the shadows? He wasn't sure.

Adrien slipped the gift over his finger, the fit perfect next to his miraculous. The two sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, hand in hand. It was Ladybug who broke the tranquility.

"Chat, you know..." She began, turning slightly to face him, "I have someone I like."

The statement startled the cat, the bluntness causing his breath to catch in his throat a little bit.

"Oh?" He tried to make his voice sound even. Ladybug nodded.

"Yeah," She loosened her grip on his hand slightly, "So, I'm sorry."

Adrien felt his heart skip a beat.

"Who is it?" He asked quietly, gaining a confused look from his partner, "The guy, I mean."

Now he was sure that she was blushing. Her gaze shifted away from his.

"Um, well..." She peered at the cat from under her eyelashes, "You can't tell."

Adrien nodded quickly, his heart jumping at an irregular pace in his chest. His skin was beginning to tingle, and he was unsure if it was from the cold, or something else.

"His name is Adrien." She murmured in the silence.

Chat Noir forgot how to breathe.

"Adrien Agrest?" He lurched, his voice spilling out. She whipped to face him.

"You know him?" She accused. Chat couldn't decide whether to nod or shake his head. She took that as a yes.

"Just don't tell him, okay?" She pouted slightly.

Adrien's mouth hung open, a weight dropped on his lower lip. Had she just confessed to him? Did this even qualify as a confession? She _liked_ him. The feeling that erupted within the boy spread like wildfire throughout every limb and nerve. The person he liked, liked him back. It almost seemed impossible. He felt like he was floating. Adrien clearly wasn't hiding his euphoria well, though, because she commented on his goofy happiness.

"You're not upset?" She asked cautiously.

Apparently, Adrien forgot how to speak coherently.

"No! I mean, yes. Maybe? W-what I mean is, um-" Ladybug's eyebrow was cocked in surprise and confusion at his jumbled sentence. He wondered if that was how he responded to her conversations with him at school. He choked at the thought of it.

"What I meant to ask, was," He cleared his throat a little, "Why? What's so good about him?"

Marinette fell into a blissful haze. What was so good about Adrien? Everything. She fumbled for a response, how could she put her feelings into words?

"He's smart, and talented," She began, resting her chin in her palms, elbows propped on her knees, "And funny, and kind, and amazing..." She almost lost herself, but straightened up at Chat's amused expression.

"He's wonderful!" She leaned forward, as if trying to convince him, "He's so diligent, and hardworking. He takes care of everyone, he makes time even to talk to me, the utterly shy girl who sits-" She slaps a hand over her mouth. Crap, that had been so close.

"What I mean," She continued, more carefully, "Is that I like everything. Even though I don't know much about him at all."

Adrien watched the saddened expression tug on the corners of her lips, and clutched her hand with both of his own. He twisted on the bench so he was fully facing her.

"You definitely know him!" He cried. It was only after the words spilled out of his mouth that he realized how dangerous they were. Her gaze turned toward him, confused.

"What?"

"I mean- Well, obviously you know him," He laughed slightly and resisted the urge to smack himself, "But I mean, it sounds like you know a lot about him."

Marinette laughed a little and rolled her eyes.

"Well I guess that's what crushing on a person for nearly six years does to you, huh kitty?" She nuzzled deeper into the warmth of her scarf. Why was she telling him all this? More to the point, why was her heart beating so quickly? Because she was discussing Adrien?

Chat Noir, himself, was dumbfounded. And here he thought, the few years he'd spent chasing after Ladybug had been an eternity. Six years. Marinette had liked him for six whole years. He could almost imagine the steam that puffed from his head when his face grew hot.

"Anyways!" She jerked to face him again, "It's getting late."

Adrien nodded in a daze, not entirely present in the moment. The drove of compliments she'd laid on him moments ago continuously swam through his thoughts.

"You sure you're okay?" She asked, leaning forward slightly in concern. Adrien blinked and his vision focused.

His breath caught. _She was so close!_ Marinette watched as the blonde nearly lost his balance, tottering precariously on the edge of the bench. Suddenly, he stood from his seated position, flustered.

"Totally f-fine!" He assured, waving his hand a little as if to shoo away her worry.

Marinette laughed at Chat's antics, standing up to meet him.

"Okay." She smiled up at the boy, who stood a few inches taller than her.

Adrien melted once more into her gaze, losing himself in her blue depths. Marinette's eyes widened, seemingly as entranced as he was. She leaned upward slightly, their puffs of breath mingling in the winter air.

"Huh," She breathed, "So that's the color of your eyes." Chat blinked, "Green."

Her mouth closed in a satisfied smirk before backing away, turning to leave. She paused, glancing over her shoulder.

"Merry Christmas, kitty."

Adrien was left behind once more, barely noticing the snowflakes that fell onto his cheeks and melted instantaneously into small droplets of water.

..  
..

When Marinette slid the CD into her computer, a small icon appeared in the upper right-hand corner of her screen. The label underneath read "My Lady". She smirked to herself. _How like Chat._ She thought.

She tapped on the icon, and the screen went black. Chat's voice played through her plug-in speaker.

"I wrote this for you." The voice rang through the silence, startling Marinette a little. She waited for him to say something more, but that was all.

After a few moments, a piano note rang. Then another. A song began to play quietly, lilting. A lullaby? No, it was more. It was passionate. She pressed herself to the back of her chair, tucking her knees under her arms and closing her eyes. The song soothed her aching muscles, like a hearth or fireplace making her insides feel warm and gushy. She could hear the beats of her heart, almost as if they were playing along to the rhythm of the song. Loud, pulsating. _Thump. Thump. Thump._ Slowly, so slowly, the song moved her through different feelings. She thought of Adrien, and his kind and accepting gaze. But as the music progressed, the vision of Adrien was slowly overcome by the strong, sturdy, forest green eyes she'd seen for the first time that evening. She wondered if Chat had written the song with this intention. Her heart thumped in response.

The music slowed, a single note playing last. More silence, before the voice murmured through the speaker once more.

"Merry Christmas, _my lady_." Chat's voice was so... Not Chat.

She sat up, playing his last words once more. The sincerity of it, the feelings. It made her mind swim. He likedher, dare she say, maybe he even _loved_ her. At least, that's what she took from the music. She looked to her left, at the small vanity mirror that hung on her sewing desk. Her face was the most brilliant shade of scarlet, she thought it might've matched her Ladybug outfit perfectly. Chat loved her, but she... She loved Adrien. Not Chat. Right? Right.

But something, some niggling, small, little tingle at the very base of her stomach, told her otherwise.


	5. Sweaters and Static Electricity

Needless to say, Adrien couldn't concentrate. His senses were messed up, he couldn't tell if his back was tingling due to Marinette possibly staring at it, or because he desperately hoped she was. He twisted the ring around his finger, once twice, taking it off, and putting it back next to his miraculous ring. Was she thinking about him? He wanted to know. Oh god, it was painful how much he wanted her to only think of him. He wanted to make himself so present in her life, that she wouldn't have time to think of anyone else.

 _Real cool, Adrien._ He rolled his eyes at his overly-possessive thoughts. Mostly, he just didn't want her to know that's what he thought.

The boy was practically vibrating. Was she wearing the anklet? Had she listened to the CD? _Did she know how much he liked her?_

"Dude," Nino nudged his arm, causing him to break free of his thoughts, "Are you okay?"

He grinned at his friend, flashing a toothy smile in what he hoped would be taken as reassurance. Inside, no, he most certainly was not okay. He was a jittering mess of who he was before Tuesday evening. He wished he could act a little more... _Chat._

"Yeah man, I'm just excited, is all."

It was the last class on Friday afternoon, only minutes before winter break would start. Adrien had been absent from school on Wednesday and Thursday, his father's Christmas line was airing this weekend and he'd been modeling sweater after sweater. His busy schedule had left him no time to think of Tuesday's events, and now, as he sat in his seat, the thoughts were overflowing.

"No kidding, man!" Nino laughed, "We all are."

The class was a loud hum of excited voices. No one could sit still. It became so persistent that the teacher had thrown her arms up in defeat, leaving the room in a red-headed huff a little over ten minutes ago. On her way out, she told the class they could do what they wanted as long as no one told the principal. The buzz of agreement practically pushed the teacher out of the door, and now the class had grown into a chaotic state of pre-holiday excitement.

"So what're you guys doing for Christmas?" Nino turned to Alya, his lips turned up in the playful flirtatious grin Adrien had seen many conversations before.

Adrien followed his friend's lead, turning in his seat nonchalantly, as if he weren't secretly hoping to talk to the girls. Well, specifically to Marinette. The black haired girl sat hunched over her tablet, drawing calmly with her stylus. She lifted her head as Alya responded.

"Hm, not much," A sassy grin drew upon Alya's lips, "Yet."

Marinette's eyes widened at her friend's bravery, the subtle invitation not left unnoticed by Nino.

"Oh, no?" The boy seemed shocked, "Well," He glanced to Adrien, "We could fix that."

Marinette and Adrien's jaws dropped in tandem. It seemed to them that their friends had finally began to make a move on each other, the slight flirtatious banter now replaced with blatant pick-up lines. Their thoughts were in sync when they wished they could do the same.

"So, whaddya say, bro?" Nino turned to Adrien then, waggling his eyebrows. Adrien's change in attitude as of recently had not gone unnoticed by his friend, Nino was determined to make something out of his relationship with Marinette.

"Marinette?" Alya asked, eyebrow quirked as she knew her 'secret' feelings for Nino had been spilled in the conversation. However, Marinette knew the expression on her best friend's face was not that of an invitation. It was more of a plea, _"Please say no!"_ Marinette gave her friend a toothy grin, winking in response. She would pry the details out of her friend later, and the relief that softened Alya's features told Marinette that she'd taken the deal. Besides, Marinette had something much more important to see to this evening.

"Ah, sorry," Her gaze turned towards Nino, trying not to look at Adrien for fear she may stumble on her words, "I'm actually visiting someone tonight."

At this statement, her eyes flicked involuntarily to Adrien before shifting away once more. She blushed despite her efforts, hoping he hadn't noticed.

Adrien, of course, had been focusing all his attention onto her actions since the conversation started. He would occasionally lead his gaze to Alya or Nino to make it seem as though he weren't blatantly staring, but mostly, he was just trying to see if her expression let anything show. It wasn't easy, considering she was avoiding his gaze. Or at least, it seemed she was. Maybe she was just acting normally, and he was only now beginning to notice the small details.

However, he'd most certainly noticed the flick of her lighted blue eyes to his, when mentioning visiting a friend. He definitely noticed the blush that spread across her cheeks, too. It was almost as if she was setting up their own date, subconsciously. He grinned. If his Lady asked him to a date, he of course would graciously accept.

"Oh! Me too!"

Marinette tilted her eyes back to the blonde, eyebrow quirked in a question, the blush on her cheeks giving away all of her thoughts. He grinned up at her, adoring her clueless expression. He reveled at how the way she bashfully brushed her hair only served to make her more adorable. How had he missed these actions before? He only wished he'd been paying more attention since the beginning.

Their friends let out a fake groan of complaint.

"Oh, that's really too bad." Alya stated in a platonic tone. Adrien watched Marinette give her friend an annoyed glare, to which her friend grinned and shrugged.

Nino patted his friend on the back, while he acted upset, he really couldn't be more happy at the realization that they'd be alone. _They really do think alike._ Adrien smirked.

People began to jump out of their seats, then, scrambling towards the door even though the bell hadn't rung yet. They were practically pushing each other through the small doorway by the time the dinging sounded over the intercom.

"Well, I guess we'll meet at eight, then!" Nino suggested.

Adrien caught Marinette's eye as he moved to grab his bag. The two stood in a moment of silent connection, their cheeks growing darker in unison. It was as if a secret agreement had been made between the two, however only Adrien would know this to be true.

..  
..

"Where are you going, so late?" Tikki whispered into Marinette's ear. It was nearing twilight, almost seven thirty in the evening. Marinette had retired to her room early with the excuse of being exhausted. Now, she stood next to her ladder, ready to go meet who she believed to be the epitome of a perfect boy. She glanced to her kwami, who grinned slyly.

"As if you need to ask." She replied hoarsely. "Tikki, transform me!"

With a small roll of her eyes, the bug-like creature spiraled into her earrings, and the tightness of the polyester suit quickly spread across Marinette's body. She quickly ascended the ladder without a noise, carefully clicking the door shut behind her and diving off into the lit Parisian evening.

The hero slowed her pace as she neared Adrien's rooftop, lading with a little 'tup' on the tiles, and moving carefully to his balcony. She swung herself off of the roof and landed silently in front of his large glass doors once more. She hid herself behind a pillar to the side, attempting to calm her erratic heart. Marinette prepared herself, trying to channel Ladybug's courage. The girl moved from her hiding place, peering into the windows to check if Adrien was at home. She'd thought when he told her friends he was busy, it was because he was hoping for Ladybug to visit him tonight. Sure looked around the room, trying to find the boy. Sure enough, when her gaze traveled to his bed, she noticed a mop of silky blonde hair hunched over a book they'd been assigned for the break. Ladybug grinned and swallowed her previous doubts, raising a hand to knock on the glass. Once, twice. Two small little knocks was all it took for the boy's head to snap up, and for a smile to break across his face. He hurried to the door and opened it.

Ladybug extended her hand in a shy wave, not able to fully conceal her timid personality. Adrien smile broadened at this action, grabbing her slender hand in his own, and pulling her swiftly into his dark room. A small cry of surprise left her lips as he closed the door behind her, and wrapped his arms around her. Her petite frame fit perfectly underneath his chin, and he was able to wrap his arms entirely around her waist. He took a moment to breathe her in, the familiar rose scent of her hair tingling his senses in the most peculiar way.

"I missed you." She murmured into his chest, her lips moving against his body. Her hands were slightly balled against his stomach, clutching a little bit to the sweater his dad had designed.

His heart squeezed at her little movements, he wanted her to _need_ him. Adrien had never longed for one person as much as he did Marinette. He wanted every part of her, Ladybug and Marinette, to be able to stay here perfectly entrapped in his arms. But he knew something would have to be given up for this dream to be fulfilled.

"I missed you too." He shocked himself with his tone of voice.

Marinette felt her stomach squeeze at his low, husky tone. She'd thought that Adrien was the sweet one, the one who was more the adorable kind of attractive. Turns out, he could be the sexy kind too. Not that she was complaining. The thought of this boy, warming her in a dimly lit room, enticed her in the best possible way. Despite her mother's warning of this kind of situation. She shifted, feeling the wool of the sweater under her fingers.

"Christmas sweater?" She lifted her face questioningly. She could barely make out the green of the material through the city lights that infiltrated the room via the balcony doors. Adrien grinned.

"My dad made it."

Marinette pulled herself away a little bit, giggling as the static clung to a couple strands of her hair. Adrien smiled at her actions. He reached down to her hand, pulling her fingers into his softly. He lead her over to his bed, his heart pounding at the familiarity of the situation. Marinette followed, her heart warmed by the softness of his actions.

The two sat down atop the bedspread, mattress sinking slightly under the weight of two people.

"I really love the gift you gave me." Adrien breathed lowly. He inched slightly closer to the entranced girl, happy he'd showered and brushed his teeth twice that evening. The smell of shampoo and mint mingled and wafted towards Marinette, who drew just a little bit nearer.

She hummed quietly, eyes drooping in that recognizable stare.

"Yeah?" She asked, too preoccupied to form a more creative response.

"Yeah," They were so close now, they could almost feel each other's lips brush against each other. In the coolness of the room, Adrien could almost imagine the puffs of their breaths mingling as they had in the gardens on Tuesday night. He grinned a little, "And I realized... I hadn't given you a gift yet, either."

"Is that so?" Marinette could barely respond, it was as if the boy was leaching the breath right out of her.

Their eyes were so dutifully trained on each other's lips, they wouldn't have noticed if the world came crashing down around them. Marinette felt a small surge of confidence course through her.

"Well, I guess you'd better do that, then." She smirked against him, feathering their lips together in what Adrien found to be an incredibly alluring way.

"Guess I'd better."

Finally, the distance between them was closed. The feeling of Marinette's lips against his own felt so... _Right._ This was exactly where he needed to be, with her. It was soft, delicate. Soothing. The kiss was a greeting, it was all of the parted longing they'd accumulated since Saturday night releasing itself into a quiet, perfect moment. They parted slowly, Marinette biting her lower lip in the way she did when she wanted more.

Adrien was beginning to get used to her subtle actions, the twinkle in her eye encouraging him even further. She was fire, bright against the mundane life that he possessed in her absence. Once again, she made him into her match, and sparked him to life.

They met again, a short little peck, initiated by Ladybug. She smirked as it ended quickly, knowing exactly what she was doing to him.

 _She's tempting me._ Adrien noted. He hated to lose. He leaned forward, so ready to make her regret she'd challenged him. So ready to reduce her lips into the kissable swollen state he'd created the last time they met.

Unfortunately, it seemed that his luck had other ideas. Just as they were about to meet, the friction that had built up on his father's sweater released itself through their connection. An intense spark caused the two to cry out, separating away in shock. The electricity they had produced left their lips tingling, itching almost. Ladybug started to giggle, covering her mouth as they grew into louder, happy laughs.

Adrien shook his head with a toothy grin breaking across his face. _Of course it had to turn out this way_. He thought to himself, thinking of the bad luck he'd been cursed with. Marinette placed her hand over his knee, still stifling her laughs so his father wouldn't hear. He refused to lose the battle, reaching for the hem of the knitted bulk and crossing his arms over his body. He swiftly pulled the sweater over his chest and thanked every god in existence that he was able to do it without making himself look like an idiot.

Marinette wouldn't have cared either way. The action itself ignited an inferno under her skin, his chest now bare in the darkness of the room. Here she sat, with her long-time crush, on his bed while he was shirtless. She thought she might pass out.

A very Chat-like smirk pulled at his expression. Marinette gaped slightly at the boy's torso, noticing the line running from his chest down that separated one group of abdominal muscles from the other. She wasn't sure she would've been able to spot any fat on the boy, even if she'd looked for hours. The thought made her look away, noticing she'd been staring. It was only now that she noticed the intensity of the heat under her cheeks.

Adrien leaned over the girl, watching her dodge his gaze and noting the blush across her skin. He loved the effect he had on her.

"What's the matter?" He teased. He knew exactly what the matter was.

"N-nothing." She stammered coyly. Adrien always knew how to bring out her Marinette side.

"Well," Adrien placed his hands on either side of her waist, watching as she leaned away from the side of the bed, laying her back onto the blankets as her calves draped over the side. He moved closer, leaning down to meet her, "I'm not done yet."

Their lips met once more, the danger of static electricity now gone, and nothing else standing in their way. Her hands lifted to his face, her fingers tugging at his jawline and palms cool against his cheeks. She brought him down closer to her, pressing her lips more fervently against his. _Oh god, she'd missed this._

Adrien himself was impressed with how long he'd been playing the part of Chat. The girl beneath him was steadily kissing him into a mess, his tough layers of dominance being peeled away and exposing his desperate need for her. He placed his hands onto her waist, making sure not to break their kiss, and gently pushed her horizontally into the middle of his bed, now able to support himself with his knees as well as his arms.

Adrien's attention was brought back to the girl when he felt her tongue graze his lower lip. He smirked against her lips, a small gap forming between their kiss.

"Don't be so haughty, and just kiss me already." She breathed against him in a rush.

Adrien gave her what she wished. The kiss was intense. It pressed him into a fever. It was wild, and frantic, and desperate, all at once. It bemused him, how a girl so shy and timid, could play the part of an enchantress.

After what seemed to be an age, they broke apart, panting and gasping in a delirious heat. Her hair was disheveled underneath him, tendrils escaping her neat holders and falling onto the bedspread in heart-wrenching attractiveness. He lowered himself onto her lips once more, softer this time, before breaking apart and making his way to her jawline. He pressed feathery kisses on the ridge of her face, hearing her breath hitch in an adorable way. He noticed that her uniform had become disheveled, the usually tight black collar encircling her thin neck made looser, exposing a tiny bit more skin. He breathed a grin before trailing his lips across her neck, placing protective marks around it. Marinette would have stopped him if it hadn't felt so good. At least she'd have an excuse to use one of her multiple scarves, now.

After minutes of letting the boy kiss her into a flurry, Marinette lifted Adrien's face, finally catching a glimpse of the darkened color of his irises. The emerald had deepened with lust, now transformed into a shadowy expression. His expression looked so familiar, she'd thought she'd seen it before. The color of those eyes, _where..?_

She blinked, a new image popping into her mind.

 _Chat Noir._

She shook the thought from her mind, a little distressed as to why it'd appeared in the first place. She propped herself up on her elbows, catching Adrien's lips once more in her own. She sat up, Adrien following her lead next to her. She leaned into his bare chest, his body heat like coal to her own. She intertwined her fingers with his, settling into a comfortable silence.

Adrien shifted to watch his Lady from above. Her eyelashes were thick, like a veil over top her smiling lips. His gaze drifted down, blushing at the red welts he'd left on her neck, hoping she'd be able to cover them. He traveled down her legs, stopping at her ankle.

Adrien blinked when he caught sight of the silver chain that hung from her slender ankle, the ladybug pendant weighing down on it and swinging in midair.

"You wear it!" The words tumbled from his lips before he could stop them.

Ladybug pulled away a little bit.

"I wear what?" She asked in a happy daze.

"I-I mean," he stammered, catching himself, "That anklet you're wearing is really pretty."

Adrien watched her expression carefully, watched closely as a slight redness tinged her already flushed face, watched as her mouth turned into the slightest of smiles.

"O-Oh yeah!" She brought it up and flicked it a bit, "I got it from my f-friend."

She could have punched herself for stuttering on that single word. Adrien, could've done the opposite. A small feeling of excitement blossomed within him at her stumble. He wondered, if it was possible...

"I mean!" She blurted, "He's my partner, really!"

Adrien sat back, kind of confused, but mostly disappointed. She grabbed onto his hand, clutching it in both of hers. She caught his gaze in her own, holding him steady.

"I really like you."

Adrien blushed, flustered out of his mind. He wanted to respond with a confession of his own, but his mind had other plans.

"W-Was it Chat Noir?" His gaze shifted away, another wave of heat seeping through his face at her blatant statement.

Ladybug sat back, and gave him a blank stare.

"Huh?"

"Who gave you the ring, I mean." What was he doing? _Of course it was, you idiot! You gave it to her!_

Again, the subtle blush stained her cheeks. She nodded, clearly unaware of the invading color. She gave him a questioning look. Adrien gulped, he might as well continue with the conversation.

"Do you like him?" He asked, sounding much more hopeful than he'd intended.

Marinette, on the other hand, mistook this hope for hurt. In a frenzy, she shook her head.

"N-No! I like you, Adrien!" It was the truth! But why did something inside her ache _so much_ when she said it? Why was her heart, and her stomach, clenched as if she were telling the most horrible lie? Oh god, _why did she feel so hot?_

Adrien turned away, slumping onto his knees.

"Oh." Was all he could manage.

"Adrien..." She whispered quietly, her grip on his hand loosening.

He turned to her with a grin.

"Yeah, it's cool!" He laughed a little, realizing his mistake and trying to change the mood. She gave him an afflicted look.

"Sorry." She said, releasing her hold on him entirely. He watched her stand from her spot next to him, panic nuzzling at the base of his stomach.

"I better go."


	6. Christmas Surprises

Christmas. A special day essentially dedicated to spending time with family, friends, or if you were lucky, lovers. Unfortunately, nobody had given Marinette the memo. She'd spent her entire day, from morning through evening, under her blankets. Her hair, in a disheveled mess, emitted a rather musky smell from the lack of washing it'd endured for the past few days. She'd lost track of how long it'd been since she'd last bathed. It didn't help that her pillow was a damp sponge that had been used to soak up the sweat and tears from her sleepless nights and drowsy days since the incident with Adrien. For the first couple of days since she'd gone into hiding, her parents had been relentlessly prodding at her from downstairs, once being brave enough to enter her room and jab at her from outside her comforter. She'd tried her hardest to ignore them, but almost broke when her father attempted to tickle some noise out of her. She was probably one of the most ticklish people on the planet, but luckily she'd managed to bite back her laughter. Finally, her parents had left, reasoning that it was likely a "teenage funk" that would pass in a couple of days. Marinette hoped her parents were right.

Ever since she'd left Adrien there in his room, all she could think about was how badly she'd ruined things between them. Well, she was torn between that thought, and something a little more infuriating. Chat Noir. She must've listened to the CD at least three dozen times since he'd given it to her. Sometimes, she would sit on her office chair and clutch a pillow to her chest, crying incessantly over the heart-wrenching notes. Other times, she would pace the floor, flailing her arms and complaining to Tikki, who had been dealing with her drama since the gift exchange with Chat. Marinette felt a twinge of guilt for making her little partner sit through it, but the kwami never seemed to complain, to which Marinette was grateful.

Tonight, however, was different. It was Christmas day, and although she hadn't left her room for almost 4 days (other than the one time she'd snuck into the bakery to grab a week's worth of assorted sandwiches so she wouldn't starve), tonight was the night. The Gabriel Agreste winter gala would start at 9:00 pm sharp, and this was one event she could not afford to miss out on. The fashion mogul would be airing all of this year's new trends, and she'd pre-ordered tickets last January for this evening. She pulled her phone out from beneath her blankets, it was already 5:30, which meant she had almost three hours to look acceptable, no, _presentable_ , for the show. It was time to get moving.

The girl swung her feet over the side of her bed, with great effort, and noted how weak she felt as she snuck into the washroom at the foot of the stairs. It was odd, but for some reason, there hadn't been any Akuma attacks for almost two weeks. Not that she was complaining, she wouldn't know how to deal with Chat after listening, or rather, memorizing, the song that he'd given her. She hadn't a clue what to name the feeling the CD gave her, or what to call the wavering, ticklish heat at the top of her stomach that grew with every chord the boy struck. It annoyed her. He annoyed her. But most of all, she annoyed herself. She hadn't spoken to Adrien since the incident, but it seemed there would be no avoiding seeing him tonight. Not that it would matter, he only knew Ladybug, not Marinette. She sighed, and clicked the door shut behind her.

The teen grimaced at the sight of herself in the mirror. What a horror. Her hair was matted, looking strikingly similar to a disheveled bird's nest. She patted her purplish eye bags tenderly, her grimace turning more wry as she noticed the pale complexion of her skin. The girl pulled away, ripping the clothes off her body as quickly as possible and jumping into the shower. She turned the water onto it's hottest setting, letting out a squeal as it practically burnt her. At least now she wouldn't be pale, she thought while cooling the water.

When she climbed out, feeling much more refreshed and energetic, she was satisfied to see her hair was no longer piled into greasy strands, but instead hung freshly in her face, in something she could at least manage. Her cheeks were rosy, and the only thing out of place were her puffy eyes, dark half circles drawn like crescent moons under her sparkling blue irises. She whipped out her cover-up, and set to work.

The moment Marinette opened the door, clad in a white bath towel, her mother was waiting. The girl smiled, and walked into her mom's open arms. The pair stood in this fashion for a few moments before pulling away, her mother sending her upstairs with a pat on the shoulder. Marinette was back, the veil of depression had lifted. She was ready.

..  
..

However, Adrien wasn't. He knew Marinette had a ticket for tonight's event, not only had she been talking about it non-stop with Alya in class, but when he'd checked the invite list, he saw that she'd won a seat relatively close to the front row. He was a mess of unsettled nerves and shaking hands. His teeth were almost chattering by the time his father had come to check on him backstage. There was only half an hour until the curtains were to be drawn, and he'd been fussed over for almost two hours now. He wanted nothing more than to leave this suffocating area. The boy planned on escaping the moment he walked off stage, and didn't care what the consequences would be.

When Ladybug had left him that night, he'd been paralyzed. It took him about an hour to process the fact that she'd essentially blown him off, and once it sunk in, life had been... Well, it hadn't been much. He went through the days in a funk, only leaving his room to attend to his father's needs for tonight's event, and returning as soon as his job was done. There wasn't much he remembered about the past couple of days, a couple of nag sessions from his dad on being attentive and how to act at the gala after the fashion show, accented by a few lectures from Nathalie about listening to his father. It was only know, twenty minutes before he walked onto the stage, that he'd wished he'd remembered what the two had said.

Luckily, his muscles had some recollection of what to do in these situations, as he had participated in many of his father's fashion shows in the past. He lined up in a corner of the stage, preparing to leave once the curtains raised. He decided that he would do the best he could to look anywhere but the audience. The last thing Marinette probably wanted to deal with right now, was him. Though she would think he wouldn't know it. It was all so confusing. He wanted to just, you know. Tell her. Fix things. Be with her. But as of now, that fantasy might just be that. A fantasy.

When the curtain finally rose, and the blond stepped onto the gleaming white stage, he broke his promise to himself. It might have been considered a talent, the speed at which his eyes found her in the audience. The boy almost stumbled, noticing the indigo dress she wore. She stood out like a beacon among the bright neon colors of the audience. He hadn't had time to analyze the dress in detail, though, because his eyes drifted towards hers like metal to a magnet. Her blue eyes widened, electric and piercing through any resolve he'd mustered before the show. She was captivating. Alluring. Stunning.

And it pained him to know he had to stay away.

Adrien spun on his heels, hurrying as gracefully as he could to the backstage, leaving Marinette wide-eyed and red-faced behind him. She must have been angry.

The moment he entered the dimly lit room, he blended into the squadron of nervous models and frenzied make-up artists doing last minute touch-ups. He pulled off the uncomfortable scarf from around his neck, flinging it to the floor. His fingers fumbled with the buttons of his pressed shirt, eventually giving up, pulling it over his head and whipping it with relish at the used-clothing basket in the corner. He shivered as the cool air seeped through his bare chest, making his way over to his bag.

"Plagg," He uttered discretely, ducking into a deserted hallway to ensure no one would see, "Transform me."

..  
..

The show had finished, and while the stately guests around her made their way into the ballroom for the after-party gala, Marinette had other plans. While her mind told her to use her ticket wisely, and make connections with some of the guests, her heart told her that if she didn't get some air, she would implode. Or explode. Either way, it wouldn't be pretty.

The flushed girl hurried away from the crowds, pushing through the flow of people into a secluded hallway. She let out the breath she must've been holding and dragged her hand across the wall as she made her way to a quiet terrace at the end of the hallway. She wrapped the shawl her mother had given her tighter across her shoulders as she stepped into the frosty Christmas air. She dropped her hands to her side, lifting her face and drawing in the deepest breath she'd taken in a long time. She leaned onto the marble railing and appreciated the winter wind that pulled strands of hair from her carefully placed french braid. Oh well, it wasn't like she'd be meeting anybody important tonight anyway.

"Marinette?"

The girl jolted, biting her tongue for jinxing it. Adrien's voice had sounded from behind her, but when she turned around, there was no one to be seen.

"Up here." The voice offered softly, and her gaze lifted to the rooftop to see a familiar face.

The girl startled, it wasn't Adrien who greeted her, but instead Chat. She was flustered for making the mistake. How could she have mistaken them? She dismissed the thought as a sign of over-tiredness, and lifted her gaze to her partner once more.

"Chat Noir?" She questioned, trying to sound as surprised as possible.

In reality, she wasn't surprised the hero was here. She assumed that where the pretty women were, so the cat was as well. The boy cracked a small grin, and leapt quietly off the roof to meet her at the railing.

"What's up?" The boy asked in what he hoped was the most nonchalant, or rather, non- _chatlant_ way. His attempt to throw himself into a Chat state of mind with the pun had plainly failed. He was still a mess.

"Not much." Marinette didn't bother to look at the boy, "Felt a little hot."

Chat Noir glanced at the girl, and grinned shyly.

"That makes two of us." He breathed into the Paris landscape.

The landscape, itself, was breathtaking. Christmas lights, which adorned every house on every street, lit up the evening in a spectacular array of colors. The Eiffel tower seemed even brighter amongst the blur of lights, and seemed to illuminate the breaths which huffed from the pair's mouths.

However, the landscape wasn't the only thing that took Chat's breath away. Marinette, which he regarded through the corner of his eye, was absolutely stunning. She was close enough now for him to fully appreciate the outfit she'd put together, the style of her hair, the length of her eyelashes, the curve of her full lips. He didn't care that he was staring.

"What?" The girl shifted her gaze towards his, her cheek still resting in her palm on the railing.

"Um, nothing," Chat looked away, embarrassed, before turning his back to the railing and facing her again, "Did you make your dress?"

Marinette lifted herself from the railing, stepping back and looking at her outfit as though she'd forgotten what she was wearing. It was a dark blue chiffon dress that had been altered so that the navy lace, one shade darker than the material, peeked out from the bottom of the gauzy indigo. The sleeves were elbow-length and made of a heavier lace than the one under the skirt.

"Um, yeah." She responded, slightly flustered.

"It's beautiful."

Marinette felt warm. She looked up to meet Chat's shadowy expression, his eyes that were one shade darker than cute, a certain shade of alluring that- she stopped herself. She did _not_ like Chat. The reason she felt warm, was because the wind died down.

A strong gust pulled some more strands from her hairstyle and effectively shot down her opinion on the situation. Chat's expression turned into one of mild concern, and he stood from his leaning position against the railing.

"Are you cold?" His voice was surprisingly low, and stirred every suspicion Marinette had in regards to her feelings.

"No! I mean, I should be, but I'm not. I'm actually feeling kind of warm- I mean, this shawl really works!" She mentally smacked herself. Her word vomits were supposed to be saved for _Adrien_ , not _Chat._ She at least wanted to be coherent with _one_ of the boys she liked.

Her eyes grew wide. This time, she really did want to vomit. And not just words.

"Are you okay?" The leather-clad hero reached towards her, noting her uneasy expression.

"Fine!" She pulled away, her face a lovely shade of light pink that went well with her outfit.

"Okay." Chat pulled back, facing over the landing once again and internally scolding himself for being so clingy.

"Actually," Marinette stepped up next to him, her hands folded over the railing, "I'm not sure."

Chat Noir turned to the girl, blushing slightly as she made conversation.

"You see, there's this one guy," She began, not daring to meet his gaze lest she give something away, "I really like him. He's really popular, and attractive, and sweet."

Chat Noir nodded, not prying for details in case he let it out that they'd just had this conversation about a week ago.

"Anyways," She flicked her gaze towards Chat for a single moment, "He likes me. Well, not me specifically, just um... A part of me."

While Chat wanted to protest, to tell her that this was a lie, and that he loved all of her, something about what she said struck a chord in him.

"And then there's this _other_ guy," Chat's eyes widened at this statement, "And he likes the same part of me as this guy does."

Chat Noir blushed, so she _had_ listened to the CD. He was feeling drugged, elated, but he didn't want her to stop now. He was so close to getting answers.

"Are you following?" She asked with a slight grin. Chat nodded quickly, to which she responded with a laugh.

"Anyways, this _other_ guy recently told me that he likes me. Like, I'm pretty sure he _really_ likes me." She glanced to Chat, who hoped his red cheeks could be mistaken for an attempt to warm up in the cold, "But I like this other guy."

And there it was, disappointment. He never thought he'd be disappointed by a confession to himself. It was almost comical.

"At least, I thought I did." She whispered, and Chat spun around.

The boy clutched her arms in his grip, and stared straight into her shocked eyes.

"What did you say?" He asked, strongly.

"Well, I thought I did. But since listening to the other guy's confession, I'm not sure anymore." She blushed realizing she was confessing this all to the culprit himself.

Chat Noir could have been floating. It wasn't a confession, that's for sure, but it was at least a chance. And he'd take anything he could get. It could, no, _it would_ , grow into something more. He'd make sure of it.

"But he doesn't actually like _me_!" She turned away from his clutch, exasperated, "Do you see what I mean? They both only like that _part_ of me. Not _all_ of me."

Originally, this statement would have been very relatable considering his circumstances, but since his discovery only minutes ago, he wasn't sure. But that wasn't the point. He _did_ like all of her. How could he tell her, in this situation? How could he let her know that he accepted every part of her, that he was _perfect_ for her? How could he let her know that he knew her secret, without giving away _his_? _The anklet._ She had to be wearing it! She hadn't taken it off when she was with him as Adrien, why would she now? He flicked his gaze to her ankle, only to find that it was completely bare. Marinette had taken off the anklet. The boy sank a little in his spot.

"I just don't know what to do, Chat."

Adrien wrenched at this familiar address, even her Ladybug side was present tonight. Adrien _really_ liked this girl. He _needed_ this girl. The days he'd spent without her, he'd spent comatose. It was unbearable. She was it. She was his key to everything, it seemed. She was his best friend, his crush, his _lover._ But only a part of her knew it. Without thinking, which it seemed he did a lot of these days, Adrien grabbed the girl's cold, slender hand in his gloved one. Their eyes met briefly, before his instincts overcame him, and he drew her to his lips. It was everything Adrien had been missing. Warmth, tenderness. Acceptance.

Marinette, on the other hand, was frozen. She was kissing Chat Noir. But it wasn't as Ladybug. It was as herself.

She shoved him off of her.

"What are you doing?!" She cried, her eyes getting steamy with hurt, "I thought you liked _Ladybug!_ "

The girl spun quickly, almost slipping on her mom's heals and, of course, breaking one.

 _Perfect._ She thought. Now her night really was complete. Marinette limped as quickly as possible away from the terrace, rounding a corner before stopping to remove the shoes. She ran barefoot through the carpeted entrance-way and down the streets, not bothering to realize that the gala was being held almost twenty blocks from her house.

The lights, which surely had been placed to spread joy across the city, only served as a knife to breed depression. The wind stung her wet eyes, tears spreading down her cheeks in painted icicles. She didn't bother to realize that she was crying in public, one of her biggest pet peeves. Her feet hurt, each strike upon the pavement ringing through her legs in vibrations. But it wasn't just her feet that hurt. It was her heart, too.

Because now she realized that the song Chat had written just for her, was false.

Because now she realized, that the part of her that was Ladybug, wasn't as important to Chat as she thought it was.

It wasn't just that Chat only liked one half of her.

He didn't like any.


	7. Hunger

Seeing as Marinette had been overcome with surges of bad luck as of late, it would only seem suitable that she awoke to a massive headache, and a flu. The way she felt that morning could have been comparable to the bottom of her father's work shoes. Her head had managed to transform itself into a pulsating anvil overnight, and had she not been left in crippling pain, she may have congratulated it for it's hard work.

Unfortunately, she was in pain. Everywhere. Her nose ran persistently, and there were no kleenexes in sight. Her throat was a pin cushion filled with varying sizes of nails and needles, her mouth as dry as Chat Noir's jokes. _Chat Noir._

Marinette groaned. He wanted desperately to put the blame of her current demeanor on Chat's head, to label him as the antagonist of the story, however the lie just didn't fit in her head. She knew last night was her fault. She'd been dramatic, and she'd run away as though she were Cinderella. Except instead of losing a shoe, she broke it. Plus, if this were actually a fairytale, the prince would have chased after her.

Maybe if she'd been thinking clearly, and it wasn't so late at night, she'd have taken a shower to clean herself off when she got home. Obviously, she hadn't been thinking clearly.

In a heave of effort, the girl lunged herself upwards, taking a moment to allow the beating throb in her left temple to subside. She opened her eyes to her dimly lit room. Her blinds were pulled closed, but it didn't seem to make a difference, as there wasn't much light shining through the curtains anyways. Her blankets were piled into a disorderly mess, seemingly a reflection of her current state. Begrudgingly, Marinette turned her head to the mirror above her desk. She squinted. She blinked. She groaned, and flopped back onto her pillow. She was the spitting image of Hell personified.

After a few seconds of wallowing in self-pity, a tingling pain tickled at the soles of her feet. She pulled one foot up to examine the source, and winced at the state of her foot. Bruised, swollen, extremely dirty, and cut in two places on the sole. She let out a shrill honk at the sight, the most her stubborn throat would allow. Marinette threw the covers off her body, adrenaline allowing her to slide off of the edge of the bed. Only to have her weight put onto the mess of her feet. Another croak of pain sounded from the girl's mouth. She lost her balance, and used her hands to brace herself against the ground.

The sounds of hurried footsteps from downstairs grew closer to her room, and she watched from the floor as her mother flung the hatch door open. In seconds, her parents were at her side, lifting her down to the bathroom and running the water for the tub. Luckily for Marinette, her pajama pants were long enough to cover her feet. She didn't need her parents refreshing her memories of last night's event.

Marinette sat limp in the bathtub for hours it seemed. Her eyes were watering and her nose was running thanks to the steam. Her mother, quick thinker that she was, had forced the girl to swallow a couple of pills before entering the washroom, that being the reason her headache had finally ceased. Now, as there was nothing left to stop her thoughts from intruding, the dam had broken. Memories from last night washed over her, making heat of the water in the bathtub seemingly unnoticeable as she stared at the ceiling, drifting back to Chat.

When the scene had replayed in her mind for about the fourteenth time, she tried to decide whether she was happy or sad. Had Chat kissed her because she was Marinette? Or was it because she was simply another girl? Maybe the cat was as confused about who he liked, as she was. Marinette let out a raspy huff of laughter. Yeah right. Chat Noir was just a player.

Her focus was brought back to her feet, and as the dirt had been lifted from her skin, she was able to better view their state. There was a large, swollen bruise on her right heel, slightly worse than that on the ball of her left foot. Her right foot had two cuts, much less deep than she'd originally thought, which were complemented by the small graze on the side of her left.

She leaned back again, it wasn't so bad. It was just a cold. Marinette could handle the pain in her feet, and the pain in her throat. What she didn't comprehend though, was the pain in her chest.

..  
..

Adrien sat in his desk chair, scrolling though the newsfeed of his social media, head propped up lifelessly by a bent hand. His mouth hung slightly open, and his eyes drooped in boredom.

"You look like you're having fun." His kwami sat next to his elbow, a small wheel of cheese held in both paws.

Adrien glanced over his hand at the creature. He grunted, and faced the computer again.

"I don't know why you just don't tell her, Adrien." The kwami shrugged, and began to feast on the stinking camembert.

At this statement, Adrien slumped against his office chair, the back of it giving a little under the pressure.

"Everything is so easy to you, isn't it Plagg." The blond muttered lowly.

The boy lifted his gaze to the ceiling. He couldn't tell her his identity. _Especially_ not now. Ladybug, _Marinette,_ hadn't liked Chat Noir from the beginning. He'd known that. She refused his attempts for flirting, and shot down his blatant compliments. She'd only regarded him as a friend. Therefore, he couldn't touch her. He couldn't hug her, or hold her hand. He couldn't let her know how much he liked her.

When he'd seen Marinette at the gala last night, he'd forgotten all that. He forgot she was his partner, he forgot she only thought of him as a friend. He forgot who he was, Chat Noir. Now, he wondered if they'd even be _that_ close. Adrien feared he'd destroyed what little relationship he did have with his partner, all with one small action.

The boy would have likely mulled over the consequences for another couple of hours, had his phone not rung. He lifted the screen to see Alya's face displayed.

"Do you know what happened to Marinette last night?" A concerned, forceful voice pushed through the speaker.

"Me? Uh- No! Why would I know?" He hoped his lie wasn't obvious.

"Duh, you were there?" Her sass was particularly prominent this morning.

"Oh yeah! Uh, no, I was backstage with my, um, dad the whole time." He almost laughed at how opposite the truth was.

"Oh, okay," Alya sounded doubtful, but she didn't push, "But anyways, she woke up with the most _awful_ cold this morning."

"Is that so..." Adrien leaned forward, guilt creeping outwards from his stomach.

"Yeah, and so anyways," You could almost hear her plan unfolding, "I have this Christmas present to give her, but I'm going out with Nino today."

She paused slightly, Adrien's eyes widened as he realized where this was going.

"Nino said he'll drop it off at your house in a couple minutes," Her grin was audible, "We're counting on you!"

Adrien jerked upright. There was no way Marinette wanted to see him right now.

"Uh! Wait! What-" The boy stammered in protest, "Why can't he just drop it off at her-"

The beeping sounding from the device told him he'd been cut off. He groaned, and let his hand drop to his side. Within seconds, the doorbell rung. The blond lifted himself out of the chair, heavy feet making their way to the door, ready to ring out his best friend. When he opened the enormous doors, however, there was only a parcel left on the stoop. Nino had ding-dong-ditched him. Adrien let out a frustrated grunt before snatching the gift. He grabbed his coat and left for Marinette's house.

..  
..

It'd been about three hours since Marinette returned to her bedroom. She'd managed to bandage her feet discreetly, her parents had no idea about their condition. While she still felt awful, she had to admit she looked a little better since washing herself that morning. She looked like a dimmer shade of Hell, maybe like Limbo. She grinned a little at her reflection in the mirror, before rolling over to face the wall.

Her parents had packed her into her bed with skill, ensuring there was no possible way for her to get out. Layer upon layer of blanket had been piled onto her heated body, only the top half of her face managed to free itself. Her mother, protesting that there still wasn't enough, had packed in another two quilts around her head. Marinette now lay mummified in her bed, her body weighed down to the mattress. She sniffed a little.

A soft knock on her hatch door sounded, before creaking open. She didn't even try to gain a glimpse of the intruder.

"Honey," Her mother's voice called softly, "There's someone here to see you."

Oh thank god, Alya. She could use a little of her best friend right about now. She tried to nod a little to her mother, luckily it was recognizable. Her mother beckoned the guest up to her room.

"Um, hey." It was a boy's voice.

Marinette's eyes widened. Her stomach lurched. _Adrien?!_ Oh god, he couldn't see her like this. No, this was bad. This was very bad. The girl attempted to squirm even lower into her sheets, trying to cover the small square of face that was previously visible to the world. She enshrouded herself with blankets, eyes searching in the pitch darkness for something to say.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, not approaching her, "Alya said you'd caught a cold."

Marinette shifted slightly to peer at her crush through the corner of her eye. His face was riddled with concern, those large green eyes made into a delicate shade of softness that she so yearned to keep all to herself. She grinned, forcing her arm out from beneath the pile and letting it poke through the hole for her face. She pulled the blankets away and squirmed so her entire upper body could sit up on her bed. Adrien watched with guilty amusement.

"Well, I _had_ caught a cold," Marinette huffed with a grin, "But my parents pretty much took care of that part already."

Adrien laughed. The guilt that had been weighing on his shoulders was lifted slightly, and he made his way over to her pink office chair, swinging it around so that he could lean his arms on the back rest.

"Thanks for coming to the show last night." Adrien offered her a shy smile. Even though things hadn't exactly gone as planned, she'd made his dreaded evening much more exciting than it would have been without her.

Marinette grinned and nodded, looking down at her fidgeting hands.

"Um, you looked pretty cool," She began softly, "On stage, I mean."

Adrien blushed, her words were comforting. He tried to ignore the glaring difference between her actions last night, and her current demeanor.

"Thanks."

Marinette peered at the boy from under her eyelashes. She knew she wasn't just feeling hot because of her flu.

Adrien bit his lip at her action. They held eye contact for a couple moments, but it was just long enough to establish the yearning between the two. As themselves, there was nowhere to hide. They were both in plain view. Adrien and Marinette were not a couple. They were not together. There was a wall, and it was a wall that could only be surpassed by disguise. Adrien was tired of hiding.

"So, um, Alya brought you here?" Marinette glanced away, feeling lightheaded at Adrien's proximity.

"Uh- yeah!" Adrien broke free of his boyish thoughts, "She wanted to give you this!"

Adrien offered the gift out to her, Marinette took it from him with tentative fingers, her fingertips grazing his own for a fleeting moment. Adrien jerked back, startled. Luckily, she hadn't noticed.

It was a small gift bag. Inside, there was a small bottle of perfume, labeled "Allure", and a Christmas card. Marinette pulled out the card questioningly, she and Alya had never written each other cards for any occasion, really.

 _Go get him, girl!_

 _Merry Christmas, Alya._

 _P.S.-you owe me._

Marinette slapped the card shut and shoved it back into the bag, chuckling nervously at Adrien's confusion. _Stupid Alya._

"Well, thanks for dropping this off!" Marinette grinned. She knew that was all Adrien had come for. He liked Ladybug, not her.

Adrien nodded. He dropped his gaze to the floor, and back up to his left. He flushed slightly, and glanced back to meet her eyes.

"Actually, um..." He wondered if he should be doing this. He could destroy everything.

Adrien looked into Marinette's eyes, almost falling into her wide pools of acceptance. Maybe things would work out.

"There was something else." Adrien dropped his gaze once more.

Marinette leaned forward a little.

"Don't freak out, okay?" He whispered. She nodded slowly, in confusion. He took a deep breath, "Marinette, I know you're Ladybug."

Marinette had no time to recapture her breath. It'd left without warning, unforgivingly catching in the back of her throat. _He knew._ Oh god, he knew. Was this a good thing? Did he still like her, like this? Was it okay that he knew? _Would he leave?_

"Y-you do?" She wondered if she was even audible.

Adrien nodded softly, biting his lip at her adorably astonished face.

"Since when?" She asked, leaning back on her tailbone slightly.

"Um, I'm not sure..." He lied. For some reason, he couldn't tell her that he knew from the start.

"Oh." Marinette had no idea how to respond. Adrien hadn't offered her any clues as to whether this was a good revelation, or a detrimental one. She didn't know anymore if he liked her. It scared her.

Marinette found sudden fascination in her hands. Adrien studied her movements, her adorable nervous fidgeting, her anxious glances upwards. At least, this part of him was able to see this. Marinette liked him. She'd told him, many times. He had never, not once, told her how he felt. But he knew that just telling her would not be enough.

Adrien sat himself beside her on her bed, feeling her legs retract a little at his sudden closeness. He turned to face her, leaning on his hand slightly. Her cerulean eyes were wide, anxious. He wanted to ease this anxiety.

"I know that you're Ladybug." He whispered again.

She nodded, and blushed. Her eyes continuously lead themselves towards his lips, but since he knew it was her, Ladybug, who had kissed them so often in the past, it felt awkward, _dirty_ , to study them now.

"And I'm happy."

Marinette flinched, turning her gaze towards him. Already, happiness began to seep into her skin. Her cells were screaming for him, her fingers were twitching to hold him close once more.

"Y-you are?" Delight had drugged her words, her body. Already, bliss lured her towards him. Her body leaned to close the distance between them.

Adrien followed. The familiar confidence began to roll over him once more, and this time, he happily let it. A grin traversed his lips, and he brought his hand up to her slightly damp hair. It smelt of the bakery, and of citrus. It pricked at the small little spot at the bottom of his belly. His fingers intertwined themselves with a lock, twisting and curling it between them. The feel of her long exhale against his shoulder ignited the familiar buzz in his extremities.

"Yeah." He brought his finger down to her neck, left exposed by the loose T-shirt she wore, "I am."

His breath was like steam, spreading from her neck into her head, and causing her to feel all the more dizzy. Adrien traced the line of her jaw, her mouth over his shoulder, breathing long, wavering strands of desperate want into his ear. The boy, amused, brought his fingertip down the center of her neck, to the nook of her collar bones, and lead it back up to her shoulder. He drew swirls onto the ball of her shoulder, which had been exposed to him when her shirt had shifted lower. He grinned, feeling her shiver under his touch. He brought his lips, slightly dry from the winter weather, to her collarbone, and feathered them against her supple, heated skin.

"A-Adrien," She grabbed his other hand overtop his sheets, squeezing his fingers between her own, "Wait."

The boy leaned back, eyes drooped slightly, a smirk toying with his lips as he noticed her scarlet complexion.

"I don't understand." Marinette huffed, her face so close to his. She could barely catch her breath.

Adrien quirked his head to the side a little.

"What don't you understand?" He grinned, eyes finding their way to her lips. Their breaths were intertwined, mingling in a strong minty heat.

"You like Ladybug, right?" It felt odd that she was referring to herself in the third person.

Adrien laughed, placing his forehead against her own. He stared deep into her eyes, allowing himself to be swallowed by their endless sea of enticing beauty. Allowing himself to be lost in her. He grinned, noticing how her breath caught once again inside her. He turned slightly to press a light kiss against the top of her jawline, just below her ear.

"Yes," He grinned into her ear, hoping he was exciting her as much as she was him, "I like you."

Marinette melted. And it wasn't just because of her fever, or because of the blankets. It was because her crush, her sweet, accepting, wonderful Adrien, was melting her. The quiet boy who comforted her, the blond boy who made people feel at ease, he was still here... But, _not._ He was different, alluring, tempting, _hot._ She blushed at her internal monologue.

Adrien now used both of his hands to support himself against her. His fingers were intertwined in a mess with hers, both desperately clutching each other to not lose their balance. Adrien's kisses had made their way down the side of her neck, long, hard presses that made her lose track of her thoughts. Marinette couldn't think at all. She felt so, _dizzy_. She wobbled as he pressed another into her skin, and fell back onto her bed.

Adrien smirked.

"I win."

His legs were now by her sides, his arms on either side of her head. Her eyelids were lowered, her hair splayed across her pillow. She was breathing hard, and he was proud of being able to work her into this mess of a girl. He lowered his head towards her, ready to close the distance. Their breaths drew upon each other's lips like strings of a puppet. They were so close.

"Wait."

Adrien let out a small huff despite himself, sitting up, careful not to put his weight on her thighs. His impatience was intense, his greed showing through. It felt different, odd. The world could be in peril, and all he'd be thinking about would be kissing this girl in front of him. She looked a little worried at this reaction, which brought him back to reality. He let out a grin once again, showing her it wasn't her fault.

"What is it?" He asked, voice laced and dripping with lust.

Marinette gulped under the low sound, her stomach jerking with need. She turned away, pouting slightly at the timing of the situation.

"I'm sick." She stated, embarrassed. She looked up at Adrien from the corner of her eye, still pinned underneath his lithe body.

His expression was that of a mixture of shock and confusion, which quickly broke into a quiet chuckle. He leaned down again, his mind now completely intoxicated with hormones and hunger. His lips were millimeters away from hers. She could almost feel them tickling her own. Adrien stared into her eyes, his gaze clouded a with dark green once again, that familiar forest. She couldn't pin down why it looked so familiar... Unfortunately, she quickly lost her train of thought to him, his breaths washing over her like hypnotism.

"You think I care?"

For the second time in 24 hours, their lips met. Only this time, it was accepted on both ends. Marinette pushed against Adrien, her head lifting slightly off the pillow only to be pushed down once more by his lips. She was pressed against his pillow, he was taking control. Adrien moved to the left slightly, finding the best position to lock his lips tighter against hers. A small squeak resounded from the back of her throat. He felt his lips purse a little into a grin, but they quickly resumed their form after about a millisecond.

In comparison to the many times Marinette had visited him as Ladybug, when he had felt so vulnerable and giddish, it seemed to him as though the roles were reversed. He wondered, if Marinette had liked Chat, if this is the way their meetings would have gone in the past.

Of course, he made sure she wasn't bothered by his taking charge. Judging by the way her hands tangled themselves into his hair, it seemed she was pretty okay with it.

Marinette, for once, didn't mind being lead. As Ladybug, perhaps she would have fought back a little more obviously, but even as Marinette, she still had some tricks up her sleeve.

Adrien shuddered as Marinette pressed a fingertip against the top of his spine, right at the nook in the nape of his neck. He let out a hum against her lips as her freezing finger lead it's way around his neck, taking it's time to drag itself downwards. If he hadn't been so preoccupied, perhaps he would have noticed the similarity between this movement, and his previous action. Unfortunately, he was too busy with her lips to think anything.

Her finger lead it's way to the top of his chest, feeling the line between his pectoral muscles, and dragging his shirt collar down slightly in an attempt to follow it. Eventually, the shirt protested, and her hand fell back to her side. Adrien grinned, realizing she'd run out of ideas.

The boy ran his tongue lightly across her lower lip, and the battle ceased. The two explored each other's mouths, in unison. Each person was equally engaged in the other.

Marinette reached to Adrien's hips, the need for closeness taking over her limbs.

A quiet knock sounded twice on the hatch door. The pair jolted away from each other, Adrien flinging himself off her and scrambling back into the office chair. Marinette threw the covers overtop herself, hiding her pounding heart and feverish blush under the safety of her blankets. Adrien clambered to assume what he hoped was a normal sitting position, hoping to god that her parents wouldn't notice the shade of his face.

Her mother opened the hatch door, a plate of croissants in hand.

"Are you guys hungry?"


	8. Poor Timing

The rest of Christmas break passed in a blur of white and red. The snow that fell to the ground, and the foggy huffs of steam that left their lips were accented by scarlet blushes and red-tipped noses. There hadn't been a day, save the one Adrien had been booked for a photoshoot and interview, that the two had been apart. It'd been the longest hours of their lives, hours that had been spent hand in hand as they walked through the ice-glazed park, hours that had been spent with their legs draped over each other as they laid on Marinette's floor. In their minds, lost time could only be made up for with body contact.

However, the duo was slowly but surely being dragged from their dream. The last day of break was upon them, and of course Mari's parents had gone the extra length to ensure they'd be out for the _entire_ day. They'd only reminded their daughter about 17 times over the course of the week that they'd be leaving the house today, _clearly_ Adrien had garnered their approval.

Marinette looked over at Adrien, who lay on his stomach across the wide, white couch in the living room. A smile seeped into her skin, tingles beginning to shoot through her extremities as her focus went to his profile. Long eyelashes, swept across smooth cheeks, lips, pursed in contented relaxation. The features she'd studied for hours on end had now gained new meaning.

The girl turned wistfully back to the dishes in the sink, thinking to the empty holes in the walls of her room, holes that used to be filled with push pins. Marinette was glad she'd taken the posters down during the year, when they were training for the video game tournament. Somehow, after that, she'd never found the time to put the pictures back up. It was a good thing too. She cringed at the thought of Adrien seeing her shrine on the day he'd come over.

Things had changed. There was comfort in their relationship. The stuttered anxiety that had choked Marinette up so many times in the past, had now left. In its place, friendship had grown. Well, maybe something more than friendship.

Marinette grinned and glanced back to her now mutual crush. Adrien's cheek was slightly squished against his palm, supporting himself against the soft white cushions. His free hand turned the page of one of Marinette's multiple Adrien-centered magazines. She blushed with a tinge of embarrassment.

Adrien, on the other hand, was studying the falsity of the product of one of his photoshoots. Tight fitting black jeans, underneath a monochromatic white T-shirt, underneath a grey camisole. Really, his father's designs were _so_ invigorating. The boy rolled his eyes as his inner monologue. He almost laughed at the difference between the photograph and his current self. Baggy sweatpants, the comfiest and warmest things he'd ever worn, and a worn-out T shirt. You would have never guessed he was a model underneath his frumpy clothing. Adrien grinned at the realization that Marinette didn't really care. She would love him regardless. Adrien shifted his glance to the girl, who was washing dishes in the kitchen. He'd offered to help her with the chore, only to be shooed away to the sofa. He watched her wipe her small, slender hands on a towel, knowing that those hands were much stronger than they looked.

Marinette placed her hands on her hips, nodding in approval the finished chore. Adrien laughed from behind her, the similarity between this action and Ladybug's making him smile. Marinette grinned, turning towards the boy. He patted the sofa seat, motioning her to come over. She was thankful it was as wide as it was, else she wouldn't have been able to snuggle into the tight space between Adrien's arms.

The duo sat in comfortable silence, heat generated between them combating the house's poor circulation. Everything was as it should be. Marinette and Adrien, Adrien and Marinette. There was no better pair. Adrien knew everything about her, every part of her, and he loved it all. She wish she could feel the same way. Well, she already did, for the parts she actually knew of him. Marinette knew the blond was hiding something from her. It showed when he watched her move, the frown tugging on his lips giving away his secret. It showed in the tightness of his clutch when the two held hands. It showed in the sadness behind that emerald excitement. Adrien was a terrible liar.

She didn't want to pry. Marinette had spent enough time trying to figure the boy out, observing him and analyzing every aspect of his life, she thought they both deserved a bit of time without her intense scrutinization. At that, Marinette pressed herself harder into Adrien's arms, surprising him a bit with her need for attention.

Adrien was conflicted. It wasn't easy hiding half of himself from the person he loved most. Since he'd told her he knew her identity, Marinette had stopped holding back. She would grab to him at random times, pressing her cheek against his back when he was making them something to eat, or playing with his fingers when he was attempting to show her some new outfits he was going to model. Not that he was complaining. Rather, maybe he was bragging? Adrien was _ecstatic,_ knowing that every frustrated need for a close proximity was felt equally, if not more, by his blue-eyed classmate. They _needed_ each other, and not just due to teenage hormones. Adrien gulped at the thought of another akuma attack in the future. He wouldn't know how to act, how to hide the fact that he knew Ladybug like the back of his hand. He wouldn't know how to disguise that he'd memorized the way she quirks her head when making new fashion designs, or that he'd memorized the motion of her brushing her hair behind her ear when it escaped her pigtail. That he'd memorized the feel of _her lips_. Adrien knew Marinette didn't know Chat Noir. Nor did he believe she'd ever care to. She would never be able to memorize him, like he had her.

The thought made him feel a little more... How to say it? Depressed? No, anxious? Maybe, but it was more like the boy felt a certain kind of detachment from the girl he loved. It was ironic, all he'd ever wanted was to be the closest person to Marinette, and now that he was, well... He'd never felt farther apart.

Adrien rested his chin over the crown of Marinette's head, breathing in the citrusy scent of her hair, and closing his eyes as she sank further into his grip.

"Adrien," Marinette whispered into his forearm.

Her voice made him feel like he was stepping on moss. Adrien hummed in response, not opening his eyes. Everything was so comfortable.

"Did you finish your homework?"

How easily comfort was broken.

..  
..

When morning came, about 45 minutes until their first class started, Adrien waited in the lobby of the bakery. Marinette's parents, Tom behind the counter kneading bread and Sabine cashing in at the till, grinned at the boy as he waited for their daughter.

"She should be down soon, dear," Sabine assured Adrien, before yelling up the stairs, "Marinette, hurry up!"

"I'm coming, okay?"

Footsteps fumbled on the floors upstairs, rushing thumps sounding in syncopation above the trio's heads. Sabine sighed, turning back to Adrien with a shrug. Adrien laughed, and watched as Marinette clambered down the stairs, her face lighting up as she saw Adrien waiting.

"Okay, see you guys!" The girl grabbed hold of his bicep, ushering him out of the bakery before his parents could embarrass her anymore.

The pair walked arm in arm on the way to school, making small talk about their new classes and teachers. When they reached a block before the school entrance, Marinette instinctively dropped her hands from Adrien's arm, and stepped away from him. It was only after the action that she'd realized her mistake. Adrien glanced down at her in slight hurt, and before Marinette could protest the meaning of her actions, a familiar head of slick blonde hair interrupted their path.

"Bonjour, Adrien!" Chloé trilled. She made sure to put extra emphasis on the "R", as if rolling it in the back of her throat for multiple seconds made her sexy and irresistible. Adrien had always thought it made her sound like she was recovering from a cold. The girl pointedly glared at Marinette, who uncharacteristically shied away from her passive abuse.

Marinette flicked her glance up to Adrien once more, biting her lip awkwardly. There hadn't been a moment Adrien had detested Chloé and her interference more than this.

"I'll see you later," Marinette muttered, before smoothly maneuvering her way around Chloé's obtrusive shoulder.

Adrien reached to grab for the girl, but the blonde managed to step in front, effectively blocking his view, and his relationship. Adrien let out a groan in frustration.

"What do you want?" Adrien didn't even try to keep the annoyance from his voice.

Clearly, Chloé was bad at picking up social cues.

"Well..." The girl checked her glossy nails, singing the word out in what she probably thought was an alluring way, "Papa told me the chef's had a surplus of beef tenderloin from our Christmas celebration. I _wouldn't_ mind sharing it with you..."

The girl batted her unnaturally long eyelashes in a sickening fashion.

"Yeah? Well, I would."

The girl gasped, as if Adrien going against her invitation was the most shocking experience she'd ever had in her life.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Adrien used a firm hand to push her away, causing her to step off the sidewalk onto the road, "Marinette!"

Mari had already reached the front steps of the school, pulling open the doors with force, and walking inside without even turning to face him. Adrien ran down the block, running up the stairs two steps at a time as the school bell rang. He entered the classroom with a disapproving glance from the teacher, panting and offering a sheepish grin in apology. The boy took his seat next to Nino, turning around to face the girl he thought he'd grown close with.

"Mari, I-"

"Adrien Agreste!" Ms. Mendeleiev called from in front of his desk. Adrien turned in surprise to face the angered teacher, "If you're going to show up late, please refrain from distracting your classmates!"

Adrien nodded and sank in his seat, grabbing a pencil and scribbling mindlessly on a loose sheet of paper.

Marinette felt guilty for getting him into trouble on the first day back, she knew the mishap with Chloé hadn't been his fault. Somehow, that close-cropped blonde witch knew exactly which nerve to pick at every time they spoke.

All morning, Adrien attempted to exchange words or glances with Marinette. The girl avoided him like the plague. She hadn't mean to. She didn't really know why she was. Unfortunately for her, Alya had taken notice. When lunch rolled around, her friend sprung into action. Rather loudly, too.

"What's with you guys?" She inquired when the bell rang.

Adrien and Marinette jerked in their seats. Nino and Alya exchanged glances, and thus the game of prying began.

"Did something happen over Christmas break?" Nino joked, causing the pair to jolt towards him.

"No!"

"Yes!"

Silence. Marinette blushed at Adrien's bold admittance. Adrien cracked a little at Marinette's lie.

Marinette watched the shade of Adrien's emerald eyes go darker, his cheeks falling with his lips. That wasn't what she meant. She didn't mean that nothing had happened. Obviously, things did happen, she just didn't-

"What?" Their friends interjected in unison.

Adrien met Marinette's gaze once more, completely misinterpreting the pleading expression in her cerulean eyes for something far less mending than what she'd intended. Marinette's lips wavered as she attempted to fix her mistakes. She thought she could almost see a little piece of happiness break away from his expression.

"No, nothing happened!" Adrien laughed, hoping it would mask the small crack in his tone, "I just forgot to set my alarm last night, that's all. I was going to ask Mari- I mean, Marinette about something on the homework assignment."

He turned towards her again, a small frown accenting the sadness in his forest eyes.

"But it's okay," Adrien turned to her once again, his melancholy smile allowing the girl to realize how much she'd messed up, "It's all cleared up now."


	9. We're Something

"Nothing happened, hm?" Adrien hummed into her ear.

Marinette shivered under his lips, which traced the lines of her wispy hair until it trailed into her neckline. Her breath hung heavily in the air as they made their way, up and down, up and down again… Adrien grinned overtop her heated skin, blowing lightly into the sensitive spot underneath her ear lobe. Marinette laughed lightly under the ticklish sensation.

"I'm sorry, alright?" She chuckled, blushing at her own words, "I just got embarrassed."

Adrien nipped lightly at her earrings, careful not to actually break her precious miraculous. She whined a little at the slight tug, then bit her lip in surprise to her own reaction. A small thrill rushed through Adrien, and he continued his teasing dominance.

"Embarrassed?" He chided lightly, "About what?"

Marinette groaned. It was only minutes after Adrien had invited her to his house as her civilian form for the first time that he decided to bring out a completely different side of his personality. She remembered the way his fingers unraveled the scarf from her throat, his eyes gazing hungrily at her bare neck, and the way she suddenly became self-conscious. He'd easily picked up on her weakness, and backed her into his bedroom wall with only a couple purposeful strides. His arms barred either side of her head, hands fisted lightly overtop of her, a soft but impenetrable wall preventing her from escaping.

The girl was brought back from her daydream with a harder nibble at the soft flesh of her neck.

"I just didn't want them to know," She ghosted into his left ear, sending a sensational feeling over his left shoulder as she leaned slightly into him.

He grinned again into her skin, teeth glancing over the swirl of baby hairs adorning his target.

"About what?" He asked, licking lightly over a spot on her neck, "About… This?"

He clenched onto the spot on her neck, tugging at her flesh between his teeth, causing his Lady to wince beneath him. He pressed his lips into the spot, causing her muscles to ease before he tugged once more. It was a delicate balance of tugging and kissing that he was proud to say he'd nearly mastered over the past couple of weeks. Marinette whimpered beneath him, breath stolen and knees weak.

"Adrien-" Her breath caught in the back of her throat, but she wasn't choking. She was slipping into comfortable bliss. Drowning in sensation.

Adrien paused, lifting his lips from the bruised circle he'd proudly created. Marinette shifted in slight disappointment.

"Yes, my-" He nearly slipped and used his flirtatious nickname, "Mari?"

Marinette flicked her focus on Adrien.

"Do you want people to know?" She whispered thickly.

She'd caught him. He didn't know if he wanted this little secret relationship to become public, it could become messy if anyone ever saw him with Mari's alter ego. He didn't want to endanger her identity, but…

"Only if you want to," He hushed into her partly opened lips.

Marinette leaned forward and pressed herself onto his mouth lightly.

"I do."

"Then it's settled."

"What, should we make a Facebook post?" She teased, her quirky wittiness showing through her smirk.

Adrien laughed, leaning towards her neck once more.

"No, but," He licked at the freshly made bruise, "We just don't hide anything."

Strangely, he could feel Marinette's grin grow wider over his shoulder, and he paused at her new-found dominancy. It was always a struggle between them, the roles switching so constantly, each battled for the power to make the other weak.

"Sounds good to me," Marinette poured her sultry whisper into his ear, and Adrien knew she had something up her sleeve.

He felt her fingers ghost on his hip bones, and she trailed her way down, so lightly he shivered from the anticipation the heat radiating from her almost-touch brought. Her other hand pressed itself into his lower abdomen, dangerously close to a place they'd yet to explore. It snaked it's way, hard, up the ridge of his torso. They both knew it was one of her favorite areas of his body. Marinette paused in the center of his chest, her left hand placed on his upper butt, her right hand on his chest. She felt the rise and fall of his breath once before working on his collarbone. If his abdomen had been her first choice, his collarbone was a close second. Her teeth sunk lightly into his thinner skin, massaging and biting until a nice ring of broken blood vessels formed from her own handiwork. Adrien groaned above her, and slung his fingers into the loops of her jeans, pulling her body closer. Marinette's thigh pressed into him, which was a little more than he was expecting. He pushed her back lightly, to her surprise.

"Don't do that."

His face was beetroot red, and her eyes widened at his sudden innocence. She felt awkward suddenly, trying to form words of apology about- about what exactly? She looked back questioningly into Adrien's steaming expression, and he avoided her eyes as he shrugged from behind the arm that instinctively tried to cover his embarrassment. Marinette looked down for only a moment, and her eyes widened. _Oh._

A new plan suddenly formed in her mind, she was rather surprised at the lack of shame she felt over seeing the natural instinct. Adrien was a boy after all. She didn't really care, and some part of her even felt flattered over his lust for her. She reached an arm over his shoulder, his wide, slightly misted green eyes met hers. He was a little afraid of how she'd react. Her eyes met his with nothing but a syrupy trap. She flicked a nail over his jawline, and he gulped. Not from fear, but from excitement.

The girl pushed him squarely in the middle of his chest, causing him to lose his already shaky balance and stumble onto his bed, calves knocking out from under him and causing him to fall onto his mattress. He knew he was in a disadvantageous position, but he was okay with being pushed around a little bit today. It was comforting after the conversation the pair had earlier at school. Marinette looped one slender leg overtop of him, before hoisting herself overtop of his hips. She sat lightly on top of him, and grinned down. He returned the grin, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

 _Do your best._

Her own eyebrows raised in mock astonishment for him to have posed such a challenge. Did he think she would not win? Sadly, he would be mistaken. Or perhaps, not so sadly.

She brushed away an arrant strand of blonde hair that had fallen into his vision, and let her fingers continue downward, tracing her way to the tip of his chin. She pressed her thumb against his slightly swollen lower lip, and leaned down. Adrien followed her gaze for as long as he could, before her lips met his own. She pressed herself down slightly more onto his pelvis as she pushed her mouth a little harder onto his. He couldn't help but let out the lowest growl of protest at her blatant disregard for his earlier warning. Adrien could feel her lip perk up slightly at his annoyed noise, clearly she was amused. Maybe challenging her had been the wrong decision. Her hands made their way up to encircle the back of his neck in the way he always found toxifying, and her spine curved slightly as she pressed her body even further onto his. Instinctively, he sighed a groan into their deepening kiss. _Damn, she was winning._

She knew it, too. It was rather fun to channel her alter ego onto the boy, and watch him melt beneath her every movement. Yes, she'd sort of ignored what he'd told her about not touching certain areas, but by the way his own hands were urging her pelvis even closer to his own, she had the feeling it would be okay to continue. She nibbled casually on his lower lip, his breath steaming against her as he gasped for air. Marinette decided to let the poor boy catch his breath, but that didn't mean she was going to stop. She pressed another light kiss on the corner of his mouth, and shifted her legs slightly to that her thigh was between his legs. Marinette almost blushed at her own boldness as she grinded slightly against him, while moving her trail of kisses over to his ear, copying his move from earlier. Adrien whined boyishly underneath her. She grinned. All this was very good for her ego, she had to admit.

His hands were locked behind her back, and she continued to lightly press her body onto his. Despite his mouth being left to its own, he found it extremely hard to catch his breath. It wasn't because Mari was lying on top of him, either. She was damn light for being as muscular as she was. She continued to tease his senses for a while, before she lost stamina and fell into his outstretched arm beside him. They lay on the bed for a while, before she leaned into his ear and whispered warmly.

"I win."

"What are you wearing to the Valentine's dance?" Alya mumbled while playing on her phone.

Mari pushed a comb through her hair. She hummed to herself under her breath, thinking of swaying in an ankle length dress, almost feeling the fluttery gauze against her heels. Of course, she'd go with Adrien, too. He'd be there, and they'd be hand in hand, on display for all to see. Including Alya. She paused mid-brush.

"Hmm…" She pretended to be thinking about the question, "I don't know."

Alya sighed. Marinette flicked a glance behind her.

"Are you going to ask Nino?" She inquired casually, continuing to brush her hair.

Alya jerked from her laying position on Mari's bed.

"Probably."

They fell back into silence.

"Are you asking Adrien?"

Marinette hesitated, knowing the conversation that was about to unfold.

"Probably."

This time, Alya sat up. Her expression was understandably skeptical.

"Actually, this time. We're much… Closer now."

Alya leaned forward, silently demanding details. Marinette rolled her eyes to the ceiling, and shrugged her shoulders up to her chin. She mustered the best apologetic expression she could.

"We're maybe dating?"

Alya's jaw dropped immediately.

"What?!" She shrieked.

Marinette shushed her immediately, knowing her parents were probably asleep by now.

"Be quiet!" She listened to make sure no one was coming up the ladder, "We just got closer over winter break, that's all."

Alya sprang from her bed to tackle Marinette in a hug, whisper-squealing into her ear.

"Girl, _finally!_ " She screeched happily, "What do you mean maybe, how do you _maybe_ date?"

Marinette inhaled, this was the tricky part.

"Well we haven't really talked about what we are yet," She pondered quietly, "But we're _something_."

Alya clapped her hands in excitement.

"That's farther than you've gotten in _years!_ "

Marinette grinned, feeding off her friend's praise. She was right, they'd gotten _way_ father. Her face steamed a little bit with memories of exactly how much farther they'd gotten.

Alya gave her a thoughtful look.

"Are you designing your own dress?"

Marinette nodded, recalling her idea from earlier. The dance wasn't anytime soon, they still had a month and a half before the school was hosting it, but Marinette was so excited she'd already started making the dress. Secretly, she was kind of hoping Adrien would ask her to the dance himself, but she knew he could be rather shy when it came to public appearances. Or maybe that was her. Either way, she just assumed they would go together.

"Shoot!" Her best friend muttered beside her, her phone screen lighting up the time, "I really have to go. I have to clean my bedroom before school tomorrow."

She groaned. Marinette offered a pat on the shoulder for her pitiful friend.

"Tell me how it goes, okay?"

Alya gave her a small wave over her shoulder before swinging open her hatch door and making her way down the ladder. Marinette checked the clock hanging on the wall. She had to get going too, patrol started in about an hour. A sigh escaped her lips at the thought of dealing with Chat Noir, but she remembered that most of the drama had occurred between her civilian self and him, not Ladybug. Hopefully, she could manage to act somewhat normal around him tonight. She had the feeling that she'd completely gotten over him since Christmas break ended. She hoped she was right.

Chat hoped he looked unperturbed. Nonchalant. Cool. Like nothing was bothering him. He hoped Ladybug wouldn't notice his longer-than-usual stares. He was trying his hardest to strangle his flirts in his throat. Ladybug, or rather, Marinette, had everything sorted out. She'd finally gotten together with her long-time crush (though technically he wasn't supposed to know about that), and though they weren't exactly dating yet, he certainly didn't want to mess up one of the relationships he had with her. Well, his only non-platonic relationship with her. So, he said nothing unnecessary, nothing unusual, nothing friends wouldn't say to each other on a daily basis.

Because of that, she of course noticed.

"What's with you tonight?" She asked when they landed on a rooftop, "You're unusually quiet."

"Huh?" He'd been pretending to scout over the city below them, "No I'm not."

At this remark, she turned to him. Usually, he'd respond with a witty or flirty response, but tonight, he was different.

"Are you feeling okay?"

She placed a spandex-clad hand onto his forehead, pushing his sandy hair above his mask and revealing the ear she'd noted when they met before Christmas. She willed herself to focus only on the present moment. He wasn't hot or anything. No fever.

"I'm fine," He let out a soft little grin, and gently pushed her hand away.

His voice was different tonight, his actions totally unlike himself. It was like she was standing in front of the person in the recording, the pianist she'd fretted over for the past weeks. Which of course she was. Her eyebrows furrowed at the memory, the melody instantly surfacing to the tip of her tongue.

"Really! Totally fine," He blurted uncomfortably.

The boy took a stride backwards, stepping away from her outstretched hand. He looked a little… She didn't know. Guilty? Sad? Marinette's stomach coiled inside her.

"Oh. Oh, okay."

She laughed awkwardly, and looked away. She casually stepped over to the edge of the roof, wanting to jump off and run back into her little room for safety.

"Hey, actually, I need to tell you something."

Marinette winced faintly, pretending as though what he was about to say was nothing more than the flirtatious banter he so often spouted.

"Hm? Really…" She droned monotonously.

A small hesitation ensued.

"I'm going to give up on you."

Marinette lifted her gaze to meet his glowing green eyes. He bore holes into her. Piano notes trailed through her memory, from the crown of her head downwards, passing through the veins in her cheeks, to the skin on her lips, before nearly floating out on words she knew she'd eventually regret. Those feelings played through her mind for a moment that felt like eternity, before she finally refocused on the way his usually deep forest gaze turned bright, shining, almost happy. Like an emerald sea. She blinked, and tried to grin. No doubt it looked more like a grimace than a smile.

"Ladybug?"

His gaze shifted over her own.

"Oh yeah!" She jolted, and broke from his gaze, "Yeah, okay. No worries."

Chat Noir looked at her worriedly. She couldn't meet his eye, and broke away to look over the blurring lights of the Parisian cityscape.

"That's fine."


End file.
